天の保護者 (Ten no Hogosha) - Part I: 親和 (Shinwa)
by Jarvis R. Yeriel
Summary: Fairy Tail AU that features Gravity Falls as a parallel universe. Follows the story of Nikku deRansu, a lone wizard whose destiny puts him at odds with Bill Cipher and eventually leads to him joining Fairy Tail. But despite proving himself as their friend and ally, it's difficult to say whether he belongs with the guild. UNDERGOING A REBOOT, STARTING WITH A PREQUEL.
1. Chapter 0: Author's Notes

Author's Notes

So… this is it. My first FanFiction. But let me tell you this: do not come into this with low expectations. I have been creating characters and stories in my head since I was six years old, and I have written out (or dreamed up) tons of ideas for other stories for more than ten years straight.

I'm not trying to sound conceited or overconfident or anything. Just don't expect a poorly written piece of 2,000 word crud. I do not write PWP stories, nor do I ignore poor grammar (despite how often I can miss it when I don't pay attention). But above all else, I take pride in my work. So, please go into this FanFic with that much in mind.

Okay. That's all I'll be saying to try and sell this story to you guys. I'll let the story speak for itself from here on out. However, like any good FanFiction writer, I'd like to begin with some thoughtful opening remarks.

First off, this story is based off of Fairy Tail's canon. However, I _intentionally_ wrote it so that anyone who wanted to get a taste of everything the FT universe has to offer would be forced to either read the manga or (more preferably) watch the anime. Still, I'll be using enough of my own originality to make sure this story amounts to more than a cheap rip-off of either show it is based on. I just want to reiterate the fact that _**Fairy Tail is NOT my intellectual property, nor will it ever be. Any and all characters, settings and ideas that directly correspond to those portrayed in the manga/anime series are the intellectual property of Hiro Mashima and anyone else he trusts with the canon of the FT universe. The same goes for any and all ideas that I will introduce from Gravity Falls. Those, in turn, belong to Alex Hirsch. This story is in no way a copyright violation towards either of these geniuses, despite the strict adherence I will adopt towards the canon of their stories. Anyone who believes otherwise needs to be told that they're wrong.**_

With that out of the way, I'll get on to the things that are less important. To wit: I will be deconstructing the Love Dodecahedron Fairy Tail has going on. Any and all crack ships will be viciously torn apart by the plot, the characters, or both. As for FT's semi-canon ships… I have my own opinions about the ones that do and don't work. For those that don't, I'll let them down easy and devote more effort to explaining/portraying the reasons why they don't work. And while I am willing to listen to any and all clearly-worded arguments against the decisions I make, I don't bother arguing with haters or flamers. If you disagree with the ships I promote and can't disagree with them in a calm, reasonable manner, I will not acknowledge you. So you might as well put a sock in it and calm your RAIG.

Finally, worldviews. I am a Christian, and will be reconstructing Fairy Tail's lore in a way that accurately aligns with Christian doctrines. And that means RAIG against my beliefs won't be tolerated either. You want to have a debate about the validity/invalidity of my religion? Great. Talk to me about it in a PM. But if you want to call me a fundamentalist bigot with buttered toast for brains (#Satire #RidiculousExamples #Idon'tActuallyUseSocialMedia), then your comments will also be ignored. The same goes for denominational distinctions. I will be borrowing from things that have nothing to do with true Christian beliefs, simply because this is a work of fiction. Be that as it may, the symbolism and ideas behind the stuff I include will be as accurate as I can possibly make it.

And if you're confused about where I draw the line between what I believe and what I write? Feel free to ask me in your review. But _do not_ , I repeat, _**do not**_ assume that you know whether or not I actually believe that something I write applies to reality. All in all, think of this version of Fairy Tail's lore as what would happen if the premises of Christianity were applied to the FT universe, and thusly adapted to make sense and still accommodate the fantastic nature of Fairy Tail as an anime.

So, to sum things up, be respectful. Don't decide that my FanFic is bad just because you hate the pairings I ship. If the ship is _badly written_ , that's a different story. But _nobody's_ opinions have any authority here… not even my own. I am doing justice to the facts about the FT universe as best as I can, so please respect my effort to do so if nothing else. That applies to not just my ships, but my entire FanFic overall. I will abstain from saying anything through this story that I don't mean, and thus I expect any and all of my readers to do the same.

Unless, of course, you don't want to be taken seriously, and you're just trying to be funny or sarcastic. If that's the case, go nuts. But once again, be respectful. The Golden Rule was given its name for a reason.

One more thing: PLEASE REVIEW. Your feedback means far more to me that you could imagine. It doesn't even have to be that long, just speak your mind in a way that is honest and polite.

-J.R. Yeriel

P.S. Hc glw mfj ss xzqk LeaJaklosa, Ijhs'y fescmf ninvl earp oi zmsriq.


	2. Prologue: Genesis

Prologue: Genesis

Long, long ago… at the very beginning of existence… the world as we know it did not exist. In that time, there only existed two dichotomies within the universe. The first existed between the third and fourth dimensions of existence: the former constituting the physical world, known as Jiku, and the latter constituting the spiritual world, known as Reikai. These worlds would later be given the titles of Earth and Heaven, respectively. Moreover, the realm of Reikai was also the home of the being known by many as God.

Such an entity is known to us by many, many names: Yahowah, Allah, Vishnu, and countless others. However, in the world wherein the wizard guild known as Fairy Tail would come to be, such an entity took the name Zenosha. Zenosha embodied one half of the second dichotomy of existence. To wit, He embodied all that was eternal, cohesive and beneficent, known overall as Good. Likewise, a different sort of entity held sway over all that remained malignant, fleeting and garbled, known overall as Evil. Such an entity ruled Jiku, leaving it in a state of complete, abysmal nothingness. It was known as the Anti-God, bringer of destruction, chaos and death: Ouroboros.

Zenosha represented all of the attributes associated with Good: righteousness, omnipotence, justice, omniscience, and the likes thereof. If life as we knew were a book, wherein history corresponded to the book's plot, Earth to its setting and all sentient beings its characters, then Zenosha would equate to said book's author. And that author, as a person, would embody all of the greatest qualities of sentience [A/N: read "…of humanity."].

Ouroboros, meanwhile, existed as the diametric opposite of Zenosha. With no true personhood and an influence that only existed as an ideal, Ouroboros merely manifested as an all-consuming shadow cast by the eternal light of Zenosha… one that festered within the empty depths of Jiku. Ouroboros was nothing short of a monster, one that existed only to deceive and devour. Despite Its inferiority to Zenosha, Ouroboros' hatred towards Him and everything connected to Him remained insatiable.

Thus, when God gave form and substance to Jiku and Reikai, establishing the worlds of Earth and Heaven within the linear concept of time, Ouroboros lashed out against Zenosha, waging a war within both realms as a struggle of Beast against Man. Within the world of Heaven, It deceived the Archangel Lucifer and, upon winning his favor, used him as an avatar for Its will. From that moment, Lucifer was known as Satan: the Arch-demon of Ouroboros. Satan then incited rebellion within Heaven, and despite winning support for Ouroboros among one third of the Angels, his initial assault was ultimately fruitless. The Arch-demon and his fallen Angels were all cast out of Heaven and forced to wander throughout the remainder of Reikai.

When the Earth was made, Ouroboros watched through the eyes of Satan and his demons, resenting the goodness and order that filled Jiku. Yet It also knew that, because Earth now had substance within both time and space, a world had been born wherein Jiku and Reikai intersected. Here, Ouroboros would wage Its war against Zenosha.

The Earth was then divided into two separate realms, each with two different species that governed it with sentience. In the place high above the surface of the Earth, known as Edolas, the nature of Reikai was reflected through the characteristics of its geography. Yet paradoxically, the supernatural power of Reikai was withheld from the sentient creatures that governed it, lest they see themselves as deities like Zenosha. The first of these races were small, anthropomorphic cats called Exceeds.

The world upon the surface of the Earth, however, was much greater. Known as Earth-land, this realm owed its name to the closer association it had to Earth as a whole. Such an honor was bestowed because Zenosha created Earth-land to reflect His own nature and glory through its physical attributes. Moreover, Earth-land was made as the only place in all of Earth where the power of Reikai manifested on the physical plane of existence. In the same way that this physical plane consisted of atoms organized into various combinations of elements, the manifested power of Reikai, known as Magic, consisted of Ethernano organized into various combinations of Aeons. Though they lacked any kind of sentience, Aeons constituted the literal forces of nature.

The first of the sentient races to govern Earth-land shared in its glory: the mighty beasts known as Dragons. Perhaps as a way of asserting dominance over Ouroboros, Zenosha created Dragons to resemble Its beastly visage. Finally, God created a third sentient race to reside within both Earth-land and Edolas. This race reflected the characteristics of Zenosha Himself in their emotions, intellect, volition, personality and through their capacity for His unique brand of caring benevolence: Love. Moreover, this race also reflected the overlap between Jiku and Reikai, so much so that He granted them the ability to manipulate the powers of Magic. This honored race was given the title of Human.

As the wielders of Magic and the bearers of Zenosha's characteristics (collectively known as His Image or Likeness), Zenosha recognized Humans as His magnum opus, the main characters within the previous book analogy. Zenosha cherished them as a parent would cherish their child, lavishing them with His Love and using them to bring greater beauty and significance to Earth-land and Edolas alike (though the humans of Edolas lacked the capacity for wielding Magic).

Yet Ouroboros, and by extension Satan and his crowd, viewed this state of perfect harmony with the utmost degree of disgust. Nothing could have possibly been in greater opposition to the writhing emptiness which they advocated. So, with Satan as the avatar of Its will, Ouroboros set out to bring Its war against Zenosha to the Human race. Taking the guise of a Dracon, a smaller, more serpent-like race of Dragon, Satan went to the first pair of male and female humans, seeking to deceive them.

In spite of their knowledge and self-awareness, Zenosha had made Humans to lack any recognition of the dichotomy between Good and Evil. All that they knew was selfless devotion to Zenosha (hereafter known simply as God) and the purposes He gave them. Theirs was a world free of selfishness or strife. But God had presented them with the opportunity to transgress from His purposes and follow the self-serving philosophy of Ouroboros, simply because He loved them too much to revoke their right to choose. This choice manifested as a tree whose fruit enlightened any who ate it with the nature of Good and Evil.

And when Satan began to speak with the Woman, she revealed that God had only told the Man and her to not eat of said fruit, because doing so would bring death. In truth, eating from this tree would send the Woman and her offspring down a psychological path of self-serving behavior, one which led to their spiritual life-force losing its connection to God and thus becoming perpetuated in the same self-consuming cycle as Ouroboros. With the death of their bodies, such a fate would consign their souls to the spiritual emptiness of Hell (the same emptiness where Satan and his demons resided outside of Earth), where they would be devoured by Ouroboros and suffer complete metaphysical annihilation.

Yet God withheld this clarity from the Humans, desiring them to make their own choices based on their own knowledge. And Satan withheld this from them as well, knowing that it would give them a reason to fear transgression. All the Arch-demon told them was that their bodies would remain alive, and the fruit would grant them enlightenment regarding Good and Evil. And so, the Woman succumbed to temptation and ate of the fruit. The Man soon followed after the Woman goaded him, knowing that otherwise he would be separated from her.

This was the first blow exchanged between Ouroboros and God. In the generations to come, humanity slid farther and farther from God, their souls curving in on themselves more tightly with each new birth. In spite of the ways they thrived, Humanity was flung into a downward spiral that slowly led to the decline of their glory. Though this digression hardly occurred at a rapid pace, humans steadily became more indulgent, misguided and otherwise self-centered in their behavior and cognition. With each death, Ouroboros devoured their souls with relish and delight. Moreover, the depravity of mankind allowed Ouroboros and Its demons to seize control of the Aeons, bringing forth forces inverse to the fundamental nature of Aeons: Remnants. The Aeon of Life spawned the Remnant of Death. The Aeon of Light begot the Remnant of Darkness. Such a cycle became the second purpose that Ouroboros devoted Its forces to perusing, alongside the defilement of Humanity.

God and Ouroboros were soon locked in a war of universal proportions. Ouroboros developed a plot to deceive humans into believing that It was the True God, rather than Zenosha. According to this heresy, Ouroboros existed as the deity Anhkseram, who spoke of a world where Good and Evil existed in eternal convection, always swinging from one to the other in a never-ending, counter-balancing cycle. Such a cycle was said to apply to human souls, one governed by the give-and-take principle of Karma and perpetuated by a cycle of reincarnation called Samsara. This pendulum-like state of the world, as Anhkseram promised, would one day come to an end, when all disharmonies were annihilated and all people existed in a state of perfect harmony resembling the state in which God had made them. However, this state would free humanity from all sense of care and obligation, such that everyone acted according to one another's needs and lived in an eternally recycling state of peace where Good and Evil alike became extinct: Nirvana.

God, meanwhile, devised a plan of His own. While Ouroboros sought to win Humans over with a promise of care-free liberation, God spoke of the true need for commitment and discipline within Human life. In order for a Human to achieve salvation from the destructive allure of Ouroboros (which took the name "sin"), they had to admit to their depravity, look to God and trust His guidance within their life. Soon, a society would arise among Humans committed to pursuing, learning, archiving and supplanting these ideals. This society would come to be known as Zentopia. And one day, God would give Zentopia a prophecy telling of a Man, the Kyuseishu, Who would act as the Human embodiment of God Himself. The Kyuseishu would reveal the deepest truths about following God, unite Zentopia under one, eternal king and at last free Humanity from the tyrannical reign of Ouroboros.

As history unfolded, each of these plans took effect. Ouroboros focused upon expanding the reach of Remnants to an extent that Its demons could harness them to achieve much greater power. Meanwhile, It whispered into the ears of the Humans in Edolas, soon inciting them into the same decline as those within Earth-land. Meanwhile, God set about using His influence, which started out with greater strength, to bring forth the creation of Zentopia. In the same time that Zentopia came to be, Ouroboros succeeded in infusing one of Its demons with the Remnant of Madness. This created the second in a line of Arch-demons, lead by Satan himself, who would act as the foremost instruments of Ouroboros' will. This Arch-demon took the name Bill Cipher.

Then, in the same time that Ouroboros had assembled a legion of ten mighty Arch-demons (eleven counting Satan), the Kyuseishu was born. As it turns out, the Kyuseishu revealed that God existed as a three-in-one entity, with three separate, sentient beings that each embodied a fundamental component of His existence. The Kyuseishu was the entity that represented God's form and essence; the aspect of His being that would reflect His personality as the aforementioned author of existence. This man was conceived by the Holy Spirit, the entity reflecting God's presence and power, and likewise birthed from a virgin.

Yet very few people recognized the Kyuseishu when they saw Him. Rather than being a powerful man born into royalty and reflecting the almighty nature of the God they knew, the Kyuseishu instead reflected God's character as well as His expectations for mankind. He was born as a poor Zentopian man named Iesu, One Who grew up to be a religious teacher and demonstrate the truths behind God's words. He ridiculed the Zentopian teachers of law, both for their growing sense of self-righteousness as well as their obsession with materialism. Iesu spent much of His time with those who had intermarried with other cultures during Zentopia's times in the captivity of other empires, as well as foreigners and other people who were otherwise considered sinners. He preached a message that advocated selflessness, humility and a reliance upon the Kyuseishu, whom He hesitated to openly reveal Himself as, lest His less-committed followers lose sight of His message in light of His identity.

Eventually, however, the Zentopian religious leaders lost their patience with Iesu's implications that He was the Kyuseishu. In their hearts, they refused to accept anything but the triumphant, domineering leader they had expected Him to be. So, after being arrested and regardless of His innocence according to civil laws, Iesu suffered death by crucifixion (due to pressure from the people, who shared the religious leaders' indignation at His claims of being the Kyuseishu). And, as the Kyuseishu, Iesu took upon Himself the infinite sinfulness of mankind and thereby created a path to freedom from it.

Everything about Iesu's life and death brought God's plan to fruition. Having thwarted the temptations of sin at every turn in His life and having been born from God's Holy Spirit, Iesu retained His Righteousness. Yet, throughout His life, He faced all of the same hardships that mankind had faced for the past few millennia. With His death, God's victory over Ouroboros was secured. After all, Humanity had delved so far into sin that the extent of it had grown beyond anything that anyone but God could take on. Moreover, God's plan required someone to suffer the penalty for that infinite sinfulness, which could only be accomplished by a man. Finally, this sacrifice could only truly save humanity if this "God-Man" had lived a perfectly righteous life and suffered the penalty for all of human sin nonetheless.

That is precisely what Iesu accomplished. Through His suffering and death, the penalty for sin that He accumulated was forced away from sincere human effort towards holy living, and instead fell upon human nature itself. Thus, sin's only affiliation remained with those who perpetually indulged their proclivity to sin. Yet those who sought after Iesu's example in His life would, like Him, return to life and thereafter live eternally. Iesu did, in fact, come back from the dead after three days, and spent many months afterward spreading word of his resurrection to other disciples of His teachings. Before ascending into Heaven and leaving them in the care of the Holy Spirit, Iesu left His disciples with a mission to spread the word of His life, death and resurrection throughout the world, spreading His teachings to any who did not know them. And in time, the controversy that developed within Zentopia quite literally tore the nation apart from civil war. Those who advocated the teachings of Iesu went on to form the Zentopian Church, while those opposed to it eventually faded into obscurity.

Meanwhile, Ouroboros had completed the preparations for Its plan. A boy was born in a community known for its intelligent population and for its devotion to Anhkseram. His name was Zeref. Even among his peers, Zeref displayed a prodigious intellect. After his little brother died, Zeref devised complete theories for the construction of a time machine, a tower that could bring back the dead, and several other inventions inspired by his sibling's death. Many warned him that Anhkseram would punish him for such blasphemies, viewing the cycle of life and death as something sacred. Pitiably, Zeref actually understood that death was something that God had never created as part of the world, and felt he needed to do something about it. But instead, Ouroboros enacted his plan by cursing Zeref. From that moment on, the boy was rendered immortal, and bestowed with incredible magic power rooted in the infliction of death. Tragically enough, this curse would lash out uncontrollably whenever Zeref felt love towards someone or when he otherwise attributed value to life.

Ouroboros used Zeref as the catalyst for many of Its plans. The poor boy created many powerful demons and spells that he hoped would kill him, but Ouroboros used them to spread chaos and destruction. Eventually, Zeref's curse led to the death of a large number of Dragons, which then sparked enmity between Humans and Dragons.

Eventually, God intervened in this calamity. To combat the Dragons, He brought forth a generation of wizards with magic specifically tailored to combating and, if necessary, killing Dragons. In response to the threat posed by Zeref and his growing following of dark wizards and demons, Zenosha brought forth a powerful group of wizards from the Zentopian Church not only to combat Zeref, but to act as Zentopia's champions. Such wizards were called by God to protect Earth-land and its people, uphold His laws and serve as the foremost vessels for His will. These wizards were known as the Celestial Guardians.

For nearly four centuries, the Celestial Guardians upheld these purposes with eloquence and zeal. They subdued Zeref, imprisoned him on a remote island, and sealed his magic within a tree. Thus, so long as the tree remained alive and unharmed, Zeref would never be able to leave. Later generations would give the island a name: Tenrou.

Though many more evil mages rose up, having been emboldened by Zeref's deeds and by the war between Dragons and Dragon Slayers, the Celestial Guardians fought for the sake of lasting peace and saved countless innocent lives. Even in the face of Acnologia himself, the Celestial Guardians held their ground and cast him out. With the power granted to them by God, these Holy Wizards became an unshakable symbol of peace and justice.

Then, as tranquility returned to Earth-land as a whole, the Celestial Guardians assumed a more benign, service-oriented role within society. Spreading themselves thinly throughout the nations, the Celestial Guardians established an organized network of wizard guilds, which before had little distinction from any other small business. These guilds recruited wizards from the surrounding towns and commissioned them on a salary from the Zentopian Church to serve and protect those among them who did not wield magic. In time, however, more and more people came to these guilds for assistance with a progressively larger variety of jobs for them. Eventually, these guilds no longer required funding from the Zentopian Church and many other guilds were founded independently, with a myriad of others to follow.

These guilds were lead by the brightest and best of the Celestial Guardians, who came to refer to themselves and their institution as the Magic Council. It was the First Magic Council that wrote the laws governing all wizards, founded the military institution later named the Rune Knights, and established a lasting system of order and harmony throughout the world of magic. In the generations leading up to their fourth century of service, the Celestial Guardians saw the establishment of guilds and the training of wizards spread like wildfire. As more and more wizard guilds arose, the world was filled with a greater sense of happiness and harmony.

Soon after the 400th anniversary of their assembly, the Celestial Guardians stepped down from their positions of authority, yielding their responsibilities to a generation which now represented the brave new world of magic that had come to be. And, over the next three centuries, the Celestial Guardians faded into legend, intermarrying with other mages and rejoining the Zentopian Church. Yet they left the legacy of their values as the core of morality and social protocol, though these soon adjusted to something more compatible with the changing culture of the times. By the time 700 years had elapsed since their creation, the Celestial Guardians were remembered only by the Zentopian Church and a handful of others outside it.

Yet one community of the Celestial Guardians had been commissioned by the Zentopian Church to uphold their original traditions, thereby preserving the purity of their magic, their culture, their customs and their bloodlines. By the end of those seven centuries, the time had grown ripe for their identity to be made known once more. As fate would have it, such knowledge was destined to fall into the hands of the strongest guild in Fiore, one which would come to stand among the strongest wizards in the world: Fairy Tail.

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	3. Chapter 1 - Nikku

Chapter 1: Nikku

The remarkable story of the Celestial Guardians' later destiny began quite simply. It began with a boy. A human boy, born among the Celestial Guardians in the year X764,… the year which marked the 700th anniversary of their assembly in the year X64. While his birth did not share the same date as said anniversary, it did occur on the same day as the conception of a future Fairy Tail wizard: Erza Scarlet. This boy's name was Nikorasu Fururu deRansu.

Known as Nikku by most and as Nikk by his friends and family, Nikku's life started out unremarkably. Born with dark brunette hair and striking jade green eyes, the boy was weak and sickly as a small child, lacking the ability to join his peers in education or training as a wizard. His parents, Saemos and Aleera, quickly grew concerned about his future the longer his condition persisted. Finally, they resorted to more drastic measures and sought out the only wizard with enough knowledge to preserve their son's chance at living his life: Zeref.

Shielding themselves from Zeref's death magic, Saemos and Aleera journeyed to Tenrou Island, described their son's condition to Zeref, and asked if there was a way the black wizard could give him a chance at life. Zeref, who easily sympathized with having his future stolen, told them there was a way that he could restore their son's ability to grow normally. However, this solution involved Zeref partially infusing Nikku with Etherious magic, the same brand of power that he used to create all of his sentient demons. However, when he assured them that Nikku could easily control this power enough to retain his humanity, Saemos and Aleera agreed. So they brought the child to Tenrou Island, shielded him from Zeref's power, and allowed Zeref to operate on him. The process took nearly three weeks, but Nikku did not suffer during or after the surgery in any way. In fact, the boy took a liking to Zeref, and found it unfair that his curse killed everything he cared about.

When all was said and done, Nikku had only reached the age of three. However, he came through the incident perfectly healthy, managed to catch up to his peers and even surpassed them. Underneath his sickness, Nikku deRansu turned out to be a very strong, intelligent boy. In fact, since Celestial Guardians taught their children to learn and train on their own, Nikku managed to achieve the feat of teaching and training himself a year before the expected margin. Though much of his newfound strength could be attributed to the Etherious magic instilled within him, his intellect came on its own. And, true to Zeref's word, Nikku learned to control and contain his demonic power with a nominal amount of training.

Aside from his talent, the boy was also blessed with many people who loved him. He had two loving parents, an older brother, one aunt, five uncles, a great aunt, a great uncle, a grandmother, a grandfather and a close friend who also happened to be the daughter of one of his uncles. Between the great talents he accumulated, the love and companionship of his extended family, and his blossoming relationship with God, the first half of Nikku's childhood would strike many others he would come to know as envious.

Yet on the same day as Erza's liberation from the Tower of Heaven, tragedy struck. The Dragon of the Apocalypse, Acnologia, attacked the boy's home ferociously. By the time the Dragon left, Nikku emerged from his hiding place to find a field of ashes and scattered rubble. Though he called out to everyone he knew, Nikku came to the crushing conclusion that only he had survived. After salvaging his father's sword and his own copy of Earth-land's Bible, the child struck out on his own, as the last of the Celestial Guardians.

Despite the grief that had overcome his soul, Nikku resolved to honor his family's memory by becoming strong and bringing glory to God as a wizard. However, the loss of his family deeply scarred Nikku, leaving him unwilling to rely on anyone but God, and people who could either protect themselves or be protected by him. The boy eventually settled in Onibus Town, working as an independent wizard to fund his journey and to later make a living upon his arrival. Along the way, he only acquainted himself with two of the people he crossed paths with.

The first, as luck would have it, happened to be Erza Scarlet. Early on in her journey towards Fairy Tail, the young redhead met Nikku not long after he set out to find a place to call home. Having met him as he sat down to meditate, the more sociable Erza stopped to ask the brunette what he was doing. From there, the two soon discovered that they had both lost their families and were now in search of a new one. Though Nikk chafed at the idea of joining a guild, he agreed to accompany Erza on her journey and, after much pleading from the redhead, agreed to settle down close by.

The two children traveled together for nearly a week, getting along with the ease and harmony that came naturally at their age. In spite of their mutual lack of social grace, they found a lot to talk about. Most of their conversations dealt with their lost childhood, which they discussed eagerly and in great detail. When they brought up how they each lost it, however, both children chose to gloss over the exact nature of their suffering. Erza learned a great deal about the Celestial Guardians in those days, and quickly took a liking to Nikk, whose kindness and soft-spoken idealism reminded her of Jellal. In turn, Nikk shared much of Erza's cheer as she recounted her happy childhood memories, smiling and laughing with her on many occasions. The boy also wished to have met Erza's friends in the Tower of Heaven, out of both a desire to befriend them and a resolve to stand up for them had he been there. He also developed a small crush on the redhead, from both her pretty face and her kind, sunny disposition.

At one point, a group of thieves attacked the young duo with the goal of stealing Nikk's valuable-looking platinum sword. Yet the two young wizards easily defeated the ill-prepared criminals, and subsequently marveled at one another's strength. At that time, Nikk had been the more capable fighter of the two, despite the limits of his magic and the unbalanced size of his father's sword. His strength inspired Erza, filling her with a greater conviction to grow strong and protect the ones she loved.

When the two friends finally arrived at the city of Magnolia, they reluctantly parted ways. However, they left only after promising to see each other again someday, after they had both gotten stronger. Overall, the encounter felt bittersweet for both parties, yet Nikk found it comparatively bitterer. The poor boy got off the train to Onibus Town feeling quite glum… which likely attracted him to the second person he met on his journey. She was a young woman by the name of Éclair.

By a staggering coincidence, Éclair happened to be acquainted with Nikk's parents, who had taken her in for quite some time during her wanderings. Thus, when Nikk shared where he came from, she immediately recognized the place he named and soon learned that he was the child of her former hosts. For some time after that, Éclair treated Nikk as her adoptive son. She gave him any guidance he needed in living independently, did her part to pay for the apartment they rented, and treated him with the same nurturing gentleness as any mother would. However, when Nikk decided he could no longer learn from her, Éclair divulged her secret to him; one that would eventually drive them apart. So, soon after Nikk's 15th birthday, Éclair parted ways with the young wizard.

Yet in spite of his losses, Nikk threw himself into his work. He spent the next five years of his life learning everything he could about his people and the extensive knowledge they had collected regarding the world of magic. He also trained and worked tirelessly in his career as a wizard, even to the point of earning the title of Fiore's #1 Independent Wizard (an accolade awarded annually by Sorcerer Weekly) in the year X784. In that time, Nikk also grew in wisdom, maturity and character, developing into a great man: intelligent, exuberant, generous, disciplined, creative, patient, loyal, humble, gentle, content, caring, kind and just.

But in all that time, Nikk committed his ways to God. He devoted thorough study to the principles of his faith, published many scholarly articles regarding the worldview it proposed, and even preached at Zentopian Churches no less than once a month. The only other major inspiration Nikk found for his work apart from God was Erza. Ever since their parting all those years ago, Nikk had kept tabs on Erza's activities in her guild, even sending her a few letters every now and then. She always replied, but they mutually preferred keeping busy to staying in touch consistently. Still, Nikk never ceased to be amazed by the feats that Erza went on to accomplish, and always held himself to the standards she advocated.

Aside from the accolade they later awarded him, Sorcerer Weekly seemed to view Nikk as a juicy topic of gossip. Part of that recognition came from his habit of thwarting any dark guild that crossed his path, but that was usually just used to segue into other topics. Really, the articles focused on how mysterious he remained. No one in the wizarding community had ever grown particularly familiar with him (except Erza, but that was never mentioned), and they labeled his level of skill despite never joining a guild as "suspicious". Thankfully, his nominal fame never brought people to his door, despite the fact that he also made the list of Fiore's Most Desirable Bachelors (an accolade which Nikk rolled his eyes at). Really, it seemed that the writers of Sorcerer delighted in teasing the man about never joining a guild. But as the years progressed, Nikk knew he needed to join a guild before too long; preferably Erza's guild: Fairy Tail. Yet he enjoyed his solitude, such that he developed a deep-seated fear of opening up in the way that joining a guild would require.

Yet that all changed in the blink of an eye. One day, not long after turning twenty, Nikk crossed paths with Grimoire Heart, one of the foremost leaders of the Balam Alliance of Dark Guilds. The encounter ended in a draw, but Nikk had caught the attention of nearly every dark guild on the continent with his actions. By the time Nikk reached his home, he found his apartment ravaged and his landlady murdered. Thankfully, Nikk kept all of his research and collected artifacts in a room he had hidden behind one of his walls. Thus, Nikk lost very little of the net value of his possessions… things for which he had earned far more than enough to afford replacements. Yet Nikk learned soon afterward that he had a price on his head. He was wanted by the Balam Alliance, dead or alive.

Somehow, Nikk took it all in stride, thwarting any of the poorly organized attempts to capture him with his quick thinking and the highly versatile magic he had learned as a Celestial Guardian. Eventually, however, one of them succeeded. On that day, Nikk was confronted by a lone dark wizard; a woman with black and white hair calling herself Mary Hughes. She boasted that Nikk would fall to her, and that she could succeed where everyone else had failed. Nikk, not yet realizing what was in store for him, readily accepted the challenge. Sadly, he had yet to learn about the magic she used: Command Magic. The poor man quickly fell to Mary's manipulations, and she then used a forbidden technique of her magic to bind Nikk's will to her own, essentially transforming him into her puppet. Intoxicated by the seemingly limitless range of power Nikk wielded, Mary chose not to turn Nikk in for bounty. Instead, she used his power to wreak havoc upon all of Fiore, doing whatever she pleased and destroying everyone who opposed her. Everyone, that is, except Erza Scarlet.

The redheaded swordswoman encountered Nikk during one of her jobs, one which had been antagonized by Mary herself. She immediately recognized him, and demanded that Mary release him from her control. The dark wizard simply laughed and turned her puppet against Erza. Yet for all Nikk's power, Mary couldn't control him with _nearly_ enough skill to match Titania Erza. In fact, the battle remained anti-climactically one-sided in the swordswoman's favor. Mary, however, pushed Nikk's body and magic past their limits, forcing Erza to deliver more punishment to him than she felt comfortable with. By the time Mary Hughes was finally defeated, Nikk had sustained a large variety of wounds. Erza did not fear for his life, but she knew that without help, he would die.

Vvno khmqa Sdmsr Xdqy gysbrj buh iwxrwa bi xix eqqzh'w uxrwp rsmthhh.


	4. Chapter 2 - Indebted

Chapter 2: Indebted

Under normal circumstances, Erza would have reacted with anger and indignation. After all, she had finally gotten to see Nikk again after eight years, and the first thing she had to do was save his life… by _fighting_ him. The thought disgusted the redhead.

After all, Nikk had been one of the few bright spots in her life following the Tower of Heaven incident… aside from Fairy Tail, of course. The boy's intelligence, strength and kindness struck her as deeply admirable traits for any man to have. She had seen all of the same things in Jellal. Yet she also empathized strongly with Nikk's sufferings during the brief time they had spent together, and thereby saw many similarities they shared. And between the letters he sent her and the publicity he attracted from Sorcerer Weekly, Erza never found it difficult to keep up with Nikk over the years. However, the swordswoman _never_ could have anticipated what kind of man he would grow up to be, appearance-wise.

Erza remembered his dark brown hair and greenish-grey eyes from when they were children. Yet the next time she saw his appearance came nearly a decade later, in the article announcing him as Fiore's #1 Independent Wizard for X784. Judging by that title, Erza assumed that he had taken on many of the same characteristics as Gildarts: stocky, rugged, dressed for frequent travel… and not exactly clean. However, the picture she saw instead blew all of those expectations out of the water.

Nikk was not dressed for travel. Instead, he dressed with a surprising degree of decorum: an all-black ensemble of a sleeveless gi, an ankle-length hakama, sturdy boots with angular soles, stout fingerless gloves with metal studs above the knuckles, and an all-weather duster jacket with large silver runes written along each sleeve. The picture had depicted him with his sword drawn and at the ready, and she remembered it as the same sword as he fought with all those years ago: a three-foot-long blade of finely-crafted platinum, with more runes of (real) silver etched into each side. Oddly enough, the last six inches of the sword's blade ended in a diamond-shaped tip that was about as wide as the point where the blade met the hilt (roughly three inches). Erza knew the sword had to be enchanted; no normal weapon could stay in such pristine condition after so many years of continuous use. Initially, Erza had thought Nikk dressed that way for the camera, but as she took a closer look she saw that Nikk's clothes (especially the duster) showed signs of long-term wear: the remnants of blood-stains, several stitches of varying ages, a few small holes and fabric that seemed newer than the rest of the garment. Upon asking Mirajane out of confusion, Erza learned that it meant Nikk had his clothes re-tailored to fit as he grew older.

But the redhead wasn't just surprised by his attire. Nikk's appearance came as a shock as well. Rather than having a stocky, muscle-bound physique like Laxus or (God forbid) Elfman, Nikk had a body that, from what she could tell through his clothing, appeared thin and wiry yet still showed signs of remaining sturdy and muscular. If Laxus has the body of a bear and Elfman the body of an elephant (per one of her guild-mates' more ridiculous conversations), Nikk's build likely equated to that of a well-fed tiger. A body which rippled with muscle yet still remained sleek and well-suited for combat.

Moreover, the man's face surprised Erza the most, such that she would have gasped out loud if her self-control were at the level of most women. His softer, boyish features had filled out quite nicely into a strong angular jaw-line, high cheekbones that were pronounced attractively by the contours of his skin, and a moderately pale face that weak-willed women would swoon over. Three things had not changed significantly: his eyes, ears and hair. Nikk's ears were admittedly rather large (almost two inches from tip to earlobe), but they barely protruded a half inch from his head, and described a somewhat ovular shape that prevented their size from appearing disproportionate or unattractive. Moreover, his hair was a complete disheveled mess despite clear evidence of him washing it regularly, reaching down to just past his ears in length and sweeping past his face in an unkempt, almost wolfish way. The color had also darkened noticeably, such that the hue reminded her more of dark chocolate than hot chocolate. Finally, his eyes remained exactly how she remembered them: large, expressive, set deeply and narrowly on his face, with irises of an entrancing shade of jade green that even Erza had to concentrate on not staring at. His head as a whole had an evenly ovular shape that, along with his sculpted, Grecian nose, and bushy, expressive eyebrows, tied the rest of his face together perfectly. Finally, his mouth was somewhat small, with thin yet supple lips. A small, neglected part of Erza's mind, which her self-control had kept in a straitjacket for years, screamed with urge to kiss those lips, but the redhead found these thoughts easy to ignore.

All in all, Nikku deRansu ran neck-and-neck with Jellal as the most handsome man Erza had ever seen. It almost surprised her that one of Nikk's more recent letters attested to him never being asked on a date.

Frankly, however, Erza respected Nikk for more than just his looks. Between his reoccurring letters and Sorcerer Weekly coverage, Erza had painted a relatively clear picture of the man Nikk had become. Honestly, she saw everything in him that she knew Jellal was capable of achieving: strength, discipline, self-control, wisdom, kindness, and everything else the redhead could think of with some affinity to heroism in general. If she had to name one thing she looked forward to as a child, it would have been the day she saw Nikk again. He was the closest thing Erza ever had to a role model.

Now, when she finally had the opportunity to see that role model again, their reunion just _had_ to be interrupted by an immediate threat to his life. Despite her willingness and hidden eagerness to help her friend, Erza felt a stirring sense of resentment towards the circumstances surrounding their promised meeting.

However, Erza betrayed none of those things in her actions. As she mulled over these facts, the redhead went straight to work: ensuring that Nikk was still alive, bringing him to the village that had employed her and deducting the cost of his immediate medical treatment from her reward. Once she had finished reflecting on the current situation, Nikk had received enough medical help that he could be brought to Magnolia for a more adequate recovery. On top of that, the locals had decorated the tooth of a monster she had defeated shortly before confronting that Hughes character. Despite the object being slightly over ten feet in length and likely weighing a literal ton, Erza couldn't bring herself to refuse their gift. So, after a moment of deliberation, the swordswoman paid for a coil of rope and securely tied Nikk's unconscious form to the tooth, taking care to avoid disturbing his more severe wounds. Finally, she heaved the enormous tooth onto her shoulders, thanked the villagers for their hospitality, and began trudging back towards Fairy Tail. On her way, however, Erza stopped to hog-tie the unconscious Mary Hughes using the remainder of her rope, then tucked her in among her luggage with the intent of turning her in to the Rune Knights once Nikk received medical attention.

Erza knew she could easily make it back to the guild-hall, on foot, by noon the next day. The weight of the tooth on her shoulder paired with the luggage she hauled along behind her affected the redhead as though the former were a mid-sized crate and the latter a large, wheeled suitcase. No, Erza's thoughts about the current situation weighed much more heavily upon her shoulders. The news of Nikk being turned into a dark wizard's plaything quickly became the talk of Fiore, especially among wizard guilds. After that, word soon got out that Nikk had made an enemy of the Balam Alliance, to the point that they put a bounty on his head. The entire wizard underworld wanted Nikk captured, dead or alive.

With that in mind, it didn't surprise Erza to learn that a dark wizard had succeeded in overpowering him, especially someone who used Command Magic like Hughes. However, Erza considered both Nikk and herself lucky that Hughes didn't immediately turn the poor man over for the bounty. Moreover, the redhead began to wonder if _any_ place would be safe for Nikk once he recovered. After all, he still had a bounty on his head, and Erza doubted that news of his rescue would do anything but encourage other dark wizards to pursue him. It occurred to her that eventually and likely sooner than later, Nikk would be more or less on the run. Now more than ever, he needed to join a guild. And if his promise to her meant anything, then that guild would be Fairy Tail. Even if he refused, which was an erroneous assumption in itself, Erza simply didn't trust anyone other than her guild with Nikk's safety. No, nothing short of her Master saying "that's an order" would convince the redhead of a better solution.

Before Erza could further ponder the implications of Nikk's admittance to Fairy Tail, she noticed that the sun had started to set. She quickly laid down her monstrous trophy, started a fire for the night and unpacked two sleeping mats, along with her dinner, from her prodigious supply of luggage. Afterwards, she gingerly untied Nikk from the tooth and laid him down on one of the mats, deciding that untying him for the night would be preferable to running the risk of his position shifting enough for the ropes to agitate his wounds. However, three things startled her about Nikk's condition. First, his wounds had healed at a surprising rate, such that they appeared to have received a few hours of medical treatment rather than a few hours to heal naturally. Second, she could feel his magic energy resonating gently from his body, even though Hughes had clearly tapped into his life force towards the conclusion of their battle. Going by those two facts alone, Erza estimated that Nikk could completely exhaust both his body and his magic within battle, then be up and ready to fight again within six hours, at _most_ … assuming that he didn't sustain any fatal wounds.

Admittedly, Erza knew that Nikk's accelerated healing would only remain useful to him in jobs that lasted more than a day, and such a thing would be uselessly slow in a protracted fight. Still, whatever this ability was, Erza guessed that it had probably saved his life on multiple occasions. It wouldn't really make Nikk harder to kill, but it _would_ make it more difficult to keep him down _without_ killing him. Erza realized with a chuckle that lots of Nikk's adversaries probably fell because they left him for dead without realizing this.

The third and most shocking thing: Nikk _stirred_. After resting for only a few hours after a near-fatal beating, he showed signs of consciousness right after Erza set him down. She quickly yet carefully lifted the man into her lap, supporting his back with one arm and feeling his cheek with her other hand. The sickly clamminess she felt immediately after his defeat had vanished. His skin felt healthy and warm.

"Nikk?" Erza prodded gently, mostly out of disbelief. But, to her further shock, his eyes opened. Between the confusion she felt and the paralysis induced by meeting his enchanting green eyes, the redhead was immobilized for a few seconds. She never even removed her hand from his cheek.

"E-Erza…" Nikk asked, prolonging the swordswoman's stupor by a second or two. Despite how weak it sounded, Nikk's voice had matured into a deep, rich baritone with a somewhat mournful inflection. His voice spoke with the potential to rid most women of their composure in conversation or reduce an audience to tears by singing an aria. One incredulous thought crossed Erza's mind just before her self-control returned: 'If he has a bad singing voice, then Natsu is secretly a pacifist.' Then Erza remembered herself and nodded, gently retracting her hand from his cheek.

"Yes, Nikk; I'm here. You're alright now." She promised, grateful that the firmness had returned to her own voice. Nikk smiled: a small, fragile smile that somehow managed to be simultaneously warm and sad. Erza steeled herself to retain self-control.

"Th-thank you, Erza… i-…" The brunette winced, gritting his teeth and growling in pain. Erza put a finger to his lips, finding them to be noticeably chapped.

"Shhhh. Save your strength. You are still badly wounded." She hushed him, delivering her command in a gentle tone of voice she saved for those who needed rest. Nikk nodded.

"A-alright… but one more thing…" Nikk acquiesced, and then gripped her free hand emphatically, a serious but hazy look in his eyes.

'This is the last thing he'll be able to say before passing out again.' Erza realized, gently squeezing his hand to encourage him to continue. Nikk took a shaky breathe.

"Erza, I… I owe you my life…" he managed, and then his head slumped against the arm supporting his back. The redhead smiled gently, laying Nikk down on his sleeping mat, pulling its blanket up over him, and gently brushing his bangs away from his face.

"I consider it an honor, my friend…" Erza acknowledged before eating her dinner and putting herself to bed.

Aidc bjfijsll avlm gaov z bvt hx u ewvb nn uil xcmkx uzy vn Yscmq Xrhl, zoll hjlesky gopslyk Rrssh agv Fvpyj xipfh.


	5. Chapter 3 - Natsu vs Erza

Chapter 3: Natsu vs. Erza

[A/N: From this chapter onward, most of the rest of this story will be told from a first-person POV as seen through the eyes of Nikku]

To this day, I despise myself for how idiotically reckless I was in challenging Hughes. Whatever forbidden technique she used to control me, it made me feel like I had fallen asleep… only with endless nightmares. I dreamt about Acnologia destroying my home more or less constantly, except _this_ time I had the privilege of watching all of my loved ones be slaughtered. Dad. Momma. My big brother, Zerivus. My best friend, Ellie. So many people I knew and loved… and the dreams were always so vivid. By the time I'd had the chance to see all of my loved ones die in my arms at least once, I could almost literally _feel_ my sanity crumbling. The visions of pain, loss and remorse I was subjected to very nearly crushed my mind like a millstone.

But, by the grace of God, Erza snatched me away from the clutches of insanity. After I regained my awareness following her defeat of Hughes, most of what I saw appeared garbled and blurred, as if my brain had forgotten how to process sight. However, I could see Erza's face with perfect clarity, and I honestly thought she was an angel for a moment. I had never seen such a beautiful woman in all my life, but it didn't take long for me to identify her scarlet locks and warm melted-chocolate-brown eyes.

Seeing Erza and speaking with her in those brief moments of consciousness gave my sanity something concrete to rest upon and heal. The memory of her firm, kind visage became a visible reminder of God's involvement in my life, in that it segued into all of the other times I remembered when He had met my needs in ways other people might label as luck or Karma. All of it taken together failed to completely ward off my nightmares, but it was enough to leave my sanity unharmed.

The next time I woke up, I felt fear and paranoia pulsing through my mind in time with my heartbeat. I had no clue where I was or what had happened to me. As it turned out, I was in Magnolia's Hospital, and the familiarity of such a building soothed my anxiety once I recognized. But that still didn't stop me from feeling a distressing amount of fear.

I was visited by a nurse about fifteen minutes later, who seemed a little surprised that I was already awake. She then mentioned that two people from Fairy Tail were waiting to come in and see me when I woke up. Hoping Erza was one of them, I agreed to let them in. I soon discovered, however, that my visitors were none other than Sorcerer Weekly's Mirajane Strauss and Fairy Tail's guild-master, Makarov Dreyar. I did my best to sit up, but only made it about halfway to being fully upright.

"Hello, Mirajane-san. Makarov-sensei." I addressed them respectfully, thankful for the strength my voice had regained, a fact which I noticed with mild surprise while speaking with the nurse.

"Hi Nikku-san!" Mirajane chirped with a friendly wave and a smile. Makarov gave a short, respectful nod.

"Good morning, Nikku-kun. Have you slept well?" Makarov replied, returning my habitually formal address with a casual ease that would have seemed dismissive if he hadn't spoken it with such polite respect. I shrugged, stretching my arms and arching my back shortly before replying.

"Eh, so-so. Considering that Hughes' Command Magic gave me nightmares bad enough to nearly drive me insane, I would say I've slept quite well." I explained, earning a raised eyebrow from Makarov and a look of confusion from Mirajane.

"Hughes…?" she asked.

"The dark wizard controlling him." Makarov clarified, to which Mirajane nodded in understanding. The guild-master then returned his attention to me.

"Nikku, I want you to understand something. Erza often speaks of her familiarity with you, and all of Fairy Tail has learned of your current plight with the Balam Alliance. With that in mind, I am more than willing to admit you to Fairy Tail. In fact, you'll be hard pressed to convince me of letting you act otherwise." Makarov began, pausing long enough to indicate he expected a reply.

"It would be my pleasure, Master Makarov. Despite how ardently I enjoy solitude, it is not worth the price of braving assaults from the Balam Alliance alone. At this point I know better than that… even more so than before. Besides, part of me has looked forward to joining Fairy Tail ever since Erza and I parted ways." I answered, my voice taking on a lighter tone as I mentioned Erza. The old man smiled gently.

"Indeed. Erza has spoken highly of you over the years. At this point, everyone knows you as her pen pal." He chuckled. I picked up on his smile when he shared that.

"However," the guild-master continued, clearing his throat. "There are a few things I wish to speak with you about. It would set my mind at ease if I understood a few things before admitting you to our guild. I hope you don't mind." Honestly, I did mind a _little_ bit. Some things about my past were touchy subjects, and I had a feeling some of Makarov's questions related to it in some way. But, as long as he didn't ask me to describe the destruction of my village, I knew I could handle it.

"No problem, Master. I don't particularly mind, and I'll gladly answer any questions that are bothering you." I assured, to which Makarov once again smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Nikku. First and foremost: why exactly didn't you join Fairy Tail all those years ago? It seems odd that a child so young would choose solitude, especially after forming such a cordial friendship." He started. Ah, yeah, that… Part of me had been asking the same question for quite a while. But, I had thought about it long and hard enough to figure out the closest answer.

"Well, part of me did want to go with her on that day. Honestly, I still had to unpack the baggage of losing my family. If you were to ask me then, I would say that I wanted to be strong enough to protect Erza and her friends before joining them. I've never completely gotten over it, but now at least I can say that I'm willing and able to move on." I responded as honestly as I could. Makarov nodded knowingly.

"Yes, I see what you're saying. Lots of your soon-to-be guild-mates have similar attitudes towards their past." He affirmed, surprising me a bit. If most of Fairy Tail could relate to dealing with painful experiences, then I would feel more at ease than I thought. The old man went on.

"Next: Erza mentioned that, as a boy, you identified yourself as a Celestial Guardian. I find both of you trustworthy, but that is still a very heavy statement. The Celestial Guardians are unanimously considered the most mysterious and legendary society of wizards in history. It's comparable to calling yourself a descendant of Zeref, or a Dragon Slayer trained by Acnologia. I have many concerns regarding this issue, but for now I will settle for a request: give me as much of a reason as you can to put my trust in this claim." Makarov spoke his words carefully, as if he were afraid that I might react rashly. But no; instead I reacted on an impulse of the Holy Spirit. I held out my left hand, palm up, and crossed my right arm over my chest. The insignia of the Celestial Guardians then weaved itself out of cyan light above my my upturned palm: a cross with a six-pointed star overlaying its center.

"Master Makarov. I now speak on behalf of the honor and credibility of my people. Yes, I am a Celestial Guardian. To my knowledge, I may very well be their _last_ direct descendant. But believe me when I say that such a fact implies no ill will towards Fairy Tail. Frankly, neither my heritage nor my beliefs should, in themselves, be any cause for worry," I promised. "Really, I can only tell you one thing that even broaches the definition of a warning. The life of every committed Celestial Guardian is an adventurous one. Each of us has a calling from God; one that exhorts us to obey His words, share them with any who would listen, and otherwise use our blessings to bless those around us. So long as I am a member of Fairy Tail, its destiny as a guild shall remain entwined with that calling."

Makarov remained silent for a moment or two, a thoughtful expression clouding his elderly face. I lowered my arms back to my sides. Finally, he looked back at me.

"Very well, Nikku. Fairy Tail is a guild that has trodden the path of adventure since its founding. If everything you've said rings true, then your first statement was correct. I see no reason why any of those things should worry me." The guild-master decided, relaxing visibly as he spoke.

"One last question, Nikku," Mirajane interjected. "What would _you_ say about joining Fairy Tail?" Her question brought a grin to my face that almost escaped as a laugh.

"I'd say, 'I would be stupid not to.'" I joked, and then felt my fatigue start to catch up with me. Makarov must have seen it, because he promptly stood.

"I suppose we ought to let you rest now. I have a meeting with my fellow guild masters in Clover this evening. And the doctors here told us that you should be back on your feet by tomorrow. We all look forward to seeing you, Nikku." Makarov concluded, and then left with Mirajane after the latter said her own goodbyes. I relaxed into my bed and sighed contentedly, feeling the fear and paranoia dissolving in my heart. As I drifted off to sleep, I could hardly wait for tomorrow to come.

I felt so excited upon waking up the next morning that I quite literally jumped out of bed. Only two things were on my mind as I checked out of the hospital: joining Fairy Tail and moving into Magnolia. Both of those things excited me, but I knew that I needed to keep focused on the objective, practical matters in my life. I had a bad habit of fixating on the things that excited me if I wasn't careful.

But, for the time being, I chose to enjoy myself as I strode into Fairy Tail's guild-hall. To my surprise and admitted relief, the place was mostly empty. Luckily, one of the people I wanted to see first had already arrived.

"Hey Mira!" I greeted her with a smile, one which the white-haired model returned immediately.

"Hello, Nikku! I assume you're here to join us?" she quipped, to which I nodded.

"Yes indeed! And please, call me Nikk." I confirmed cheerfully. Mira nodded and pulled out an all-purpose guild-mark stamp, the kind that didn't require ink and changed to any color you wanted.

"What kind of guild-mark would you like?" the barmaid asked. After mulling it over for a moment, I came to a decision.

"Right here, on my left cheek, in gold." I indicated, pointing to the area just beneath my left eye. The barmaid nodded and carefully pressed the cool stamp against my face. When she removed it, I used my magic to briefly conjure a reflective surface in front of my face. I smiled at what I saw: Mira had placed the stamp so the fairy symbol's "head" lay just below my left eye, facing my nose; its "wings" lay just in front of my left ear; and its forward facing "foot" ran beneath the left corner of my mouth. The symbol's golden color brought out my eyes quite nicely.

"Sweet…" I mused before allowing my temporary mirror to disperse. Mirajane looked the slightest bit awed.

"Was that your magic?" she whispered in amazement. I nodded.

"Right again, Mira. It's the basic set of spells that all Celestial Guardians wield in some form or another: the Arc of Creation. In a nutshell, it works like Maker Magic, only it utilizes a type of light-based energy that can be assigned whatever properties the caster needs for a given spell. It takes _**a lot**_ of practice to wield effectively, but with my level of skill it can be used for just about anything. Plus, it's easy to learn other types of magic along with it." I explained, which only seemed to astonish the barmaid even more.

"Wow… that sounds unstoppable." She marveled. I couldn't help but laugh at what she had said.

"You'd be surprised. The Arc of Creation is unmatched in versatility, but it doesn't really excel at anything else. It requires more magic energy for me to increase its strength, range, durability or other attributes. I supplement it with telekinesis and another form of magic called Channeling, which involves… well, channeling my magic energy through my body. Without the telekinesis, there's no way I could possibly keep up with the Arc's full potential. And without my Channeling magic, I wouldn't last more than a few minutes against a more powerful opponent in close combat. I also have my Prayer techniques, but those technically call upon God for power, plus they only work when I _really_ need them to." I went on, eager for the opportunity to explain this to someone. Mirajane nodded once I had finished, then smiled again.

"Yeah, that makes a lot more sense. Still, I have to wonder if you're S-Class material." The barmaid acknowledged, which left me puzzled.

"S-Class?" I repeated.

"Mhm. That's what we call our strongest mages. Only four of our members qualify right now, but they have a separate request board on the second floor." She told me. Now it was my turn to be astonished. I whistled.

"Dang… who all is S-Class level?" I wondered out loud.

"Erza, Gildarts, Laxus and Mystogan." Mirajane listed, and then blushed lightly. "I used to be S-Class as well, back when I had full command of my magic."

"Well, that explains it. I've heard plenty of stories about all five of you being major league badasses." I replied, furrowing my brow a bit as I remembered what else she said. "Why exactly aren't you S-Class anymore?" Mirajane looked away.

"I'd rather not talk about it…" I knew that tone of voice anywhere. It was the kind of voice that meant she would get upset if she tried talking about it. I knew, because I had used that same voice several times before. I nodded in understanding.

"Alright, that's fine. Anyway…" We spent a little over an hour alternating between conversation and silence. I had Mira serve up several mugs of my favorite soda: ginger ale. As time went on, more members started showing up in groups of two and three. I recognized a few faces from reading Sorcerer Weekly and doing research on more current events: Mirajane's brother Elfman; Makarov's S-Class grandson, Laxus; Fairy Tail's smartest woman, Levy McGarden; and, of course, the guild's resident lady killer, Loke. Just when I was starting to wonder when Erza would show up, a raven haired guy in nothing but his boxers burst through the doors.

"Guys, it's happening!" the man shouted, causing everyone in the guild but Mira and I to drop everything and hurry out the door. I placed the name right before he ran out to join them: Gray. Gray Fullbuster, a famously formidable Ice Wizard… and an inexplicable nudist.

"What's up with them?" I asked, voicing my confusion in more of a casual tone than I intended.

"That's right; you didn't hear the news, did you? Natsu challenged Erza to a fight yesterday. Everyone started looking forward to it once word got out, so they must be getting started." Mira answered, and I was on my feet the second she finished.

"Bye!" I managed to say before sprinting out the door.

'There is _no way_ I'm missing this. I just hope Erza doesn't completely curb-stomp poor Natsu…'

Crowds put me in a bad mood faster than a cat in a dog kennel. They're loud, cramped, damn-near impossible to navigate, and always gather around all the excitement. Plus everyone takes offense and protests whenever you manage to make your way through them. If this were any other time or any other place, I would've just conjured an air horn and used it to shut everyone up. But considering that Erza was about to fight one of the most violent wizards in Fiore, I grit my teeth and bore it as I made my way to the front. But I didn't fear for her safety at all. If anything, I feared for Natsu's safety. My biggest motivation was seeing Erza Scarlet do what she did best live and in person. I wouldn't miss that for _anything_ unless it was life-and-death.

Once I finally made it to the inmost ring of the crowd, I stopped advancing and watched eagerly. My redheaded pen pal stood on one side, looking calm, composed and beautiful. From the waist down, she wore a blue pleated skirt and black, high-heeled boots that both came close to her knees, so roughly six inches of her legs were showing. From the waist up, everything but her head was fully armored, though the armor itself didn't attract much attention. It's only unique features were small metal wings on the elbow guards and an insignia decorating the breastplate. I particularly liked the insignia: Fairy Tail's guild-mark was centered on the armor's left side in red, overlaid beneath the center of a stylized yellow cross. The entire ensemble struck me as something Erza would definitely enjoy wearing, assuming that she preferred armor.

On the other side of the clearing, Fairy Tail's infamous fire wizard stood ready: Natsu Dragneel. In truth, I had never seen what the Dragon Slayer looked like before. I knew looks were almost always deceiving, but I found Natsu's appearance slightly underwhelming compared to the hype he received. He was about a head shorter than me, with a moderately muscular physique that was admittedly impressive for a person of his size. The first garment I noticed him wearing looked like a black waistcoat with gold trim, except it reached all the way down to his knees and was synched at the waist by a brown, silver-buckled belt. At least, that's what it looked like… Aside from that, he wore white knee-length trousers, black open-toed sandals and a white, scale-patterned scarf.

His complexion, however, came as a complete surprise. Rather than looking like the demon I expected him to, he had a boyish face and _pink hair_. I'd seen a lot of wizards whose appearance seemed goofy when compared with their magic, but a pinkette Dragon Slayer? Definitely one of the stranger ones… I looked back at Erza, giving her a smile and a thumbs-up when she met my gaze. The redhead subtly returned my smile then returned her gaze to Natsu.

Then, a high pitch voice cut through my thoughts like a knife through hot butter. The voice gasped.

"No way! They're really going through with it?!" the voice exclaimed incredulously. When I turned to see its owner, my mind reeled a bit from disbelief. While that voice was the most ear-damning sound I had ever heard a woman utter, the woman who had uttered it struck me as quite the opposite. She was undoubtedly the second most beautiful woman I had ever seen, right after Erza. The woman had honey-blonde hair tied off in a right-facing ponytail, but her face really caught my attention. With her big, coffee brown eyes and delicate facial features, this woman managed to have an appearance that balanced between beautiful and adorable. Finally, she had a curvy, well-endowed figure worthy of a succubus (and I had fought those things more than once!). I don't really remember what that girl's clothes looked like; I was too busy trying to pull out the wrench she had thrown into my mind.

"Oh, hey Lucy!" Mirajane called, alerting me to the fact that she had joined us outside.

'Lucy…' I mentally repeated, taking note to practice saying her name calmly later.

"Well if those two value their manhood, then they better go through with it." Elfman remarked with a hint of snarky sarcasm. I walked over to join the siblings as Mirajane replied with a statement of the obvious.

"Erza's not a man." She clarified, saying it as if Elfman didn't actually know that already.

"But you gotta admit she's manly." Another guy to Mirajane's right added. He had blue hair and a large, S-shaped necklace.

'Macao,' I remembered after a moment. I simply watched the battle that was about to unfold in front of us, not wanting to get into it with my other guild-mates yet.

"Aren't you worried this fight could tear our strongest team apart?" Lucy asked the now-fully-clothed Gray.

"What're you talking about? 'Our strongest team'?" Gray retorted, not catching on to what she meant. Given my lack of context, I didn't follow her either. And her voice still annoyed me.

"You, Natsu and Erza, ya dummy! You're the three strongest wizards in the guild." Lucy answered a bit testily. 'Yeah… now that I think about it, those three do sound like a really well-balanced team.' I thought.

"We are? Yeah right. What idiot fed you that lie?" Gray replied with no small amount of incredulity. After a pause, Mirajane started to cry. I couldn't help but speak up after that.

"Does that answer your question, Gray?" I remarked, my voice dripping with an undertone that added a sarcastic "Nice job, buddy".

"Oh, you're not an idiot, Mira." Gray fumbled out an apology, but the damage had been done. Then he turned to me. "Wait, who are you?" I opened my mouth to answer him, but Lucy quickly interrupted him.

"Wait, I know you! You're Nikku deRansu, this year's #1 Independent Wizard! Oh my gosh, this is the coolest thing ever, I didn't know _you_ had joined Fairy Tail!" Lucy babbled excitedly, sounding exactly like the half dozen other fan-girls I had encountered. I sighed as a way of releasing my exasperation.

"I just joined today, actually. It's nice to meet you. Lucy, right?" I greeted and held out my hand, deciding to defy my aggravation with good manners. Lucy shook my hand a little vigorously.

"Yes indeed! That's me! And like I said, meeting you is absolutely awesome! There are some many things I want to…" She started freaking out again, but I politely held up my hand.

"Later. We've got bigger things going on right now." I turned to Mira. "So Mira, you really think Natsu, Erza and Gray form the guild's strongest team? Don't get me wrong, I think you're probably right. But that's still a pretty high compliment to pay any of Fairy Tail's teams… unless Laxus and Mystogan both fly solo." I asked. The barmaid, who had stopped crying by that point, looked up and nodded.

"All I meant was the three of the work well together and they have the best team chemistry in all of Fairy Tail." Mira sniffled a bit.

"Okay, this is coming from the same person who sent me on a mission to keep Natsu and Gray from killing each other when Erza wasn't around?" Lucy asked rhetorically. I thought about that for a moment, and then laughed when I realized the correlation: a rivalry between a fire mage and an ice mage.

'I'll have to ask Lucy for more details on that when we talk later.' I made myself a mental note.

"I'll hand it to Natsu and Gray; they're tough little dudes, but neither of 'em are even close to being the strongest. There are guys in Fairy Tail who are stronger than both of 'em combined. Like this guy!" Elfman admonished, pointing to himself during that last statement. Elfman's misogynistic attitude was starting to get my goat, so I decided to call him on that one.

"Oh really? Then you probably wouldn't mind if you and I squared off sooner or later, would you Elfman?" I baited, earning a grin from the Takeover wizard.

"Are you kidding? You're Nikku deRansu, Fiore's #1 Independent Wizard! I've always wanted to throw down with someone as manly as you!" Elfman proclaimed, making no attempt to hide his excitement. I allowed myself a smile.

"Well, I have a few things to take care of in the next few days. I'll let you know when I'm ready, so just avoid jobs that will take more than a day or two, okay?" I offered, to which Elfman pumped his fist in the air.

"Yeah!" he called. I pinched the bridge of my nose.

'Man, I can't tell if this guy is really excitable or really stupid.' I thought wearily.

"Returning to the topic at hand, I would have to agree with Elfman here. Natsu and Gray are _really_ strong mages. Especially Natsu," I continued.

"Hey!" Gray protested.

" _But_ I do concede that neither of them could really hold their own against Fairy Tail's stronger S-Class members." I finished, looking at Gray pointedly. If looks could speak, mine would have said, "Don't pretend like it isn't true." The Ice wizard just glared at me.

"That's true. But calling Erza the strongest woman in the guild is a pretty safe bet." Levy added from her place several feet to Elfman's right.

"As far as the guys, it's a tough call, but I'd put my money on Laxus or Mystogan." Jet, one of her nearby teammates, added.

"I'd bet on Gildarts any day of the week. I've seen the guy in combat, and he is an absolute _beast_. I'd pray for the safety of anyone who picked a fight with him." I disagreed, earning nods from each member of Team Shadow Gear.

"I gotta say I'm pretty psyched to see how this fight turns out." Elfman went on, watching Natsu and Erza with his arms crossed. I looked over at them, wondering why they hadn't started. Erza just stood there, but Natsu was stretching his limbs and popping his joints. His body language suggested he was psyching himself up a bit, probably due to his alleged defeat from last time.

"Oh yeah? I'm sure she'll end up mopping the floor with him." Gray replied with more of his trademark snarking. I chuckled.

"Knowing Erza, that'll be the eventual outcome depending on how long and how much she holds back." I concurred, watching as Natsu stood upright and at the ready.

'Here they go.' I thought in anticipation.

"It's been quite a while since we've squared off like this, hasn't it Natsu?" Erza remarked, her tone of voice expressing the same sentiment as a knowing smile.

"I was just a little kid back then. Today's gonna be different, 'cuz I'm taking you down, Erza." Natsu shot back, clenching his fists and raising both arms at the elbow.

"Well I'm not going to go easy on you," Erza countered, initiating her Requip magic. "In fact, I have the perfect armor for this occasion." With those words, the redhead initiated her armor exchange, taking her time and making a show of the process. I was impressed by the spectacle, but it took me completely off guard when she spent half of it clothed in nothing but a silhouette of light. I'll be honest: even the outline of Erza's naked body gave me a minor nosebleed.

'Note to self: stay _far away_ from _**that**_ mental image.' I thought earnestly, knowing that if I started going there, I would never be able to come back. Seeing Erza as nothing but a supremely well-endowed body struck me as an absolute nightmare, but I knew that it was also a _very_ slippery slope for me. I strongly preferred to see her as the person she was: my friend, and arguably my _best_ friend. Vices notwithstanding, I absolutely refused to start lusting after Erza.

Once she had finished, the redhead was dressed in an odd-looking armor that obviously had some affinity with fire. It was mostly dark red, yet possessed orange decorations resembling flames and black decorations resembling the body of a dragon in certain places. The armor even came with wings. Overall, it looked really awesome, and even a little cute, what with her hair done in high-hanging pigtails.

"That's Flame Empress Armor. Good choice against fire magic." Macao noted, almost as if he was giving exposition.

"So now Natsu's flames will only be half as effective," a lavender-haired girl added in the same fashion. I couldn't remember her name, but I did remember that she used Wood-Make magic.

"C'mon Erza. At least give the kid a fighting chance!" Wakaba, Fairy Tail's smoker, commented somewhat teasingly.

'Well, this should be interesting.' I thought. With that armor, Erza and Natsu would have to rely more on skill and physical strength than raw magical power. If Erza was trying to even the fight out, then that armor was indeed the perfect choice.

"Wow, Flame Empress Armor, huh? Good news for me. That means I can turn up the heat as high as I want to." Natsu taunted, setting his fists on fire and assuming his stance.

"Finally…" I muttered under my breath, eager for things to get underway.

Bu bzqk HI, flx Pvxqfphk Gevkc psz gqzxu xamulg, flx "lflzs" wwqgx imavy phe lhbz zifk. Buod mwmvv ph tmwkmf jwusmxa apw zmpbe sy oqk kzpzplhvl zwel. Pqmgn bzm ktodx zbg lpsa vq ml, pb vqvu'h fedl pau dvbs xh mqycjl cgx poil pw oop jhbvv.


	6. Chapter 4 - This is Home

Chapter 4: This is Home

Not a single thing went as expected that day. For one thing, Natsu and Erza hardly fought for an entire minute, with neither of them landing a single hit. Their fight was interrupted by an amphibious representative of the Magic Council, who placed Erza under arrest for "eleven counts of criminal property damage".

That in and of itself was a complete mood-killer; everyone went from upbeat and excited to anxious and glum. Really, only two people reacted differently. I happened to be one of them, reasoning that if the Magic Council had any intention of arresting individual members of Fairy Tail, they would have done so a long time ago.

The other was Natsu, but he adopted a more… aggressive approach to the situation. In fact, nobody could restrain him until Mirajane turned him into a four-inch-tall fire lizard and trapped him beneath an upside-down drinking glass. I'm bound to say that the situation struck me as pretty funny in spite of the tension.

"This isn't fair, you guys! Let me outta here already!" Natsu demanded, his voice sounding humorously small and high-pitched at his size. The sound of his tiny fists pounding against the glass only made it harder to restrain my giggling.

"Natsu, try to calm down." Mirajane admonished for what must have been the ninth time.

"Let me out, pretty pretty please?" Natsu pleaded, saying something else I couldn't hear over Mirajane's reply.

"You'll go on a rampage!" I started sniggering in spite of myself, especially after Mirajane mentioned that obvious fact.

"I'll be good, I swear! Now please just turn me back to the way I was before!" Natsu promised, waving his arms as he spoke. I kept sniggering.

'I know this must suck for Natsu, but I just can't take him seriously when he's like this.' I thought to myself. Mirajane still didn't let him out.

"The second we turn you back, you'll run out to save Erza." Mira reprimanded, citing the one reason we all knew to be obvious. If I were only as smart as Natsu, I would probably feel the need to do the same.

"Gimme a break, I couldn't care less what happens to her." Natsu argued, which actually made me laugh.

"Sorry Natsu, but _nobody_ is going to buy that for a second." I replied, my sniggering on the verge of digressing into chortling. Natsu turned to face where I was seated, on the opposite side of the bar as Mirajane.

"You think this is _funny_ , Nikk? What's funny about Erza getting arrested for doing her job?!" Natsu snarled, which immediately shut down my laughter.

"Absolutely nothing, Natsu. I was laughing because you look and sound absolutely ridiculous right now," I replied firmly, then went on. "I want to do something about this too, but it's not our place to argue with the Magic Council about this."

"Listen to the noob, ya pyro. Even if you wanted to help her, it's not like we can face off with the Council." Gray backed me up. I took a bit of offense at being labeled a "noob". As a member of Fairy Tail, that would almost be an understatement, but as a wizard, not even close. Still, I let it slide, considering that crack I made about Natsu being stronger than Gray.

"But don't those jerks on the Council realize that Erza did what she had to do to save the lives of the guild-masters from those bad guys and their evil death flute?" Natsu ranted, giving an argument that actually sounded honest for a change. I sighed.

"Natsu, I'm fairly positive some of them do. I've met with the Magic Council before; several of my past jobs involved sensitive information they needed details on. They're reasonable, and the only real complaint they have about Fairy Tail involves our tendency to recklessly destroy things. Let me spell it out for you." I got in Natsu's tiny face, and then stood up on another urge from the Holy Spirit.

"In fact, why don't all of you tune in for a second? I want to make sure that everyone knows this," I spoke up, looking at Makarov, who sat cross-legged on the bar several feet to my right.

"Think about this from the reference point of the Magic Council. It is literally their job to keep law and order in the wizarding world. That means they're held responsible for the actions of the world's guilds. Just like a guild-master is held responsible for the actions of their guild's members. Do you honestly think they don't know that Fairy Tail is just doing their job? And do you think they enjoy the fact that Fairy Tail always winds up breaking things while doing it? Think about how tiresome it would get to constantly have to deal with that same problem over and over again. Frankly, you should count yourselves lucky that this kind of thing hasn't happened sooner," I paused for a moment and sighed.

"It's not really my place to speak on their behalf, or to tell you all what you should or shouldn't do as wizards. Still, try to be a little more considerate. I know that these kinds of mistakes are almost always some form of collateral damage. But it doesn't seem like too much to ask for us to try and avoid it, for the sake of others. Think about this: how many times could a person commit manslaughter before people started accusing them of murder?" At that point in my little speech, Makarov looked at me firmly.

"What are you trying to say Nikk?" He asked with a hint of challenge in his voice. I took a deep breath to steady my nerves.

"I'm just saying that the Magic Council has the people in mind. The general populous of a society think differently from individuals. Most people might concede that Fairy Tail is just doing their jobs… if you asked them individually. But as a group, they must be frustrated about all the destruction Fairy Tail has caused. Think about the homes that have been destroyed; the businesses reduced to rubble. The property damages that come out of the pocket of Fiore's government. The Magic Council is held responsible for all of that, and if they don't do something, it will give the populous _and_ Fiore's government the impression that nothing will change. Do you really think that people are willing to put up with that?" I challenged, looking at Makarov meaningfully. He held my gaze for a moment, but let out a sigh of his own.

"No, they aren't. I fully understand, Nikk. That knowledge has been giving me grey hairs and nightmares ever since I became master of this guild. But we all do our best, and prioritize the strength and growth of our members. I've said it before and I'll say it again: that's what makes Fairy Tail number one." The old man answered with a degree of sincerity and remorse that quickly sapped my resolve to speak up. I sat down.

"Yeah, I understand. I just want all of you guys to think about that the next time you take a job. Would you still defend Fairy Tail if it was _you_ on the receiving end of their carelessness?" I offered the question, looking out at my guild-mates and raising my voice to make sure they heard me. Their mood was still glum, but I could tell I had gotten their attention. I even heard a few people sheepishly mutter, "No…"

Even Natsu shut up upon hearing my words, plopping down into a sitting position with a look actually seemed thoughtful. Gray wrapped up our conversation with more of his trademark snarking.

"Either way, if the Magic Council says you're guilty, then you're guilty. End of story. They don't care what we have to say." He concluded.

"I just don't get it. We've destroyed plenty of stuff in the past and they never made a big deal out of it." Elfman grumbled.

"I know. It doesn't make any sense." The lavender-haired girl from before agreed. By that time, I had remembered her name: Laki.

"It's like… there's some other reason for this…" Lucy mused, speaking up for the first time.

"Listen guys. Based on their treatment of Fairy Tail over the past year or so, the Council has been _very_ patient with us as a guild. I'm sure they did this to avoid taking too much flak from the people or the government. If I had to guess, I would say they're going to let Erza off with a slap on the wrist. That way, they don't have to punish Fairy Tail for collateral damage _or_ face the potential consequences of letting us off the hook. From the people's perspective, it probably seems like the Magic Council sees this as a 'last straw' kind of thing." I explained which seemed to calm everyone down a pinch. Fairy Tail's drunkard, Cana Alberona, plopped down next to me with a drink in her hand.

"Since when did you get so smart about this kinda thing?" She asked. I looked over at her and shrugged.

"What can I say? My two biggest hobbies are training and research."

After that, everything went back to normal. Everyone laughed and talked with one another like normal friends would, and the atmosphere went from glum to mellow. Only Lucy, Levy and a few others retained their downcast mood. Cana and I struck up a conversation, and she spent a large portion of our conversation either teasing me or flirting with me. Considering that she only wore a bra from the waist up, ignoring the latter put a minor strain on my self-control. As for how Cana viewed me, I can sum up the woman's opinion with what she said towards the end of our conversation.

"Ya know I really like you Nikk. Even though you're somehow an even bigger nerd than Levy, you're also cute, sweet and funny when you try to be. I think I see why Sorcerer Weekly put you up there with Siegrain and Loke; you'd make a pretty great catch." Cana admitted, slurring just a bit and giving me a meaningful look with her sharp, violet eyes. The black-haired drinker excelled at polite flirting, and part of me guessed that she used that as her primary strategy against guys she wanted to go out with. Maybe I felt a little nervous and jumped to conclusions, maybe I was just judging Cana prematurely, I don't really know. All I knew at the time was that I wanted Cana to back off _just a little bit_. So I cleared my throat.

"Thank you, Cana. I don't take compliments lightly, so I really appreciate that. However, I don't really participate in the dating scene. Don't get the wrong idea; I'm as straight as a line. But I am also decidedly celibate. Honestly, I don't really trust what I would do with myself in a relationship; let alone how I would affect my partner." I stammered a bit, hiding behind my self-depreciation like a parapet. Cana eased off after that, but she came across as a bit miffed.

"Humph… your loss… Seems like a waste, though…" She murmured, returning to her drink. At that point, Lucy stood up.

"This is wrong. We should be there to testify!" Lucy proclaimed, her voice full of resolve that I never knew she had.

"We're not going to court." Makarov succinctly retorted. Lucy flounced up to the old man.

"Why not, Master?! We all know she's innocent! We can't just sit here and let them lock her away!" the blonde insisted, not backing down in the slightest. I felt a bit impressed by her words, but I had to disagree.

"Even if we left this very second, there's no way we'd make it there in time." Makarov replied simply, cutting off my argument with an even better one.

"But…" Lucy ventured. Natsu started to protest again.

"I've been stuck under this stupid cup all day, you guys! It gets hard to breathe! C'mon, you gotta let me outta here!" He squealed, actually getting Makarov's attention for a change.

"You're sure you want out?" Makarov baited him. I expected Natsu to say something like "Well duh", but instead he paused and didn't say anything.

'That's not like Natsu at all. Now isn't that the weirdest… wait a minute…' I thought, doing a quick sweep of the guild, realizing that something seemed off.

"What's the matter? It seems you've lost the fire in your belly." Makarov noted with amusement, summing up the object of my suspicions perfectly. Suddenly, the realization hit me like a bucket of ice-water.

"Hold the phone, guys! What happened to…?" I voiced my epiphany, but before I could finish Makarov blasted the captive fire lizard with his magic, revealing him as the very person I had noticed was missing.

"…Macao?!" I exclaimed, realizing that Levy had said, "It's Macao" at just the right time for us to speak his name simultaneously. Everyone, including me, was speechless. How on Earth had he managed to take Natsu's place without _any_ of us noticing?

"That was _you_?!" Laki, Lucy and Elfman all gaped at once, their eyes and mouths wide with disbelief.

"Yeah… Sorry guys, but I owed Natsu a favor… I turned myself into a salamander so that everybody would think I was him." Macao responded sheepishly. Then it hit me: Natsu had run off after getting turned into a lizard, and then Romeo showed up with him in his hand. Macao must have found Natsu first and swapped places with the pinkette in time for him to make himself scarce.

"Do you know where he went?" Lucy prodded, earning a clueless "Uhhh…" from Macao.

"He went after Erza, didn't he?" Gray insisted, to which Macao gave in.

"Yeah, afraid so…" the man admitted. I face-palmed.

"Great… just great… for all we know, that idiot could be fighting the whole Council right now. If Natsu somehow gets away with this, I'm gonna punch his lights out." I grumbled with more aggravation than I had felt in a while.

"Would everyone just calm down? We've no choice but to wait and see what happens." Master Makarov muttered with a hint of resignation in his venerable voice.

'Oh dear…' I thought to myself, slumping down in my seat and fighting the urge to assume the worst.

When they didn't show up the rest of that day, I _really_ felt like wailing into Natsu. At best, his shenanigans landed him and Erza in prison for the night. At worst, he had gotten someone seriously hurt and gotten _himself_ arrested for assault and arson. Plus, I had hoped to move from Onibus to Magnolia that day, and if I didn't have someone help me out it would take all day just for me to get packed and moved out. But the events surrounding Erza's arrest made me completely forget about it until that night. So, I sighed and settled for one more night in Onibus. At least it gave me the opportunity to get everything ready to be packed up when I got home…

Luckily, I arrived at Fairy Tail the next morning to find that Erza and Natsu had both returned, with Natsu already acting like a complete idiot.

"Who would've thought fresh air could smell so sweet? I'm gonna breathe it in all day!" he shouted gleefully, running back and forth with a trail of fire spewing out of his mouth. Deciding to make good on my promise, I stomped right up to Natsu, waited until he started running towards me, and gave him a well-earned punch to the face. I overdid it just a little, though, because Natsu landed flat on his back.

"O-ow!" the pinkette leapt to his feet and got in my face. "What the heck was that for, you stuck-up noob?!" he demanded, but frankly I was tired of his shit. I shot him the most penetrating look I could muster, one that conveyed a potential threat. Natsu quailed, an undertone of surprise etched into his fearful expression. He probably wasn't used to anyone but Erza giving him looks like that. But I wasn't finished.

"That… was for letting your recklessness get the two of you arrested. All that you've learned from this is what can happen when you don't think things through," I looked around at my guild-mates. "You hear that guys? If you can't take it from me, then take it from Natsu's bad example. Even if you make mistakes, always try your best to stay out of trouble. Otherwise, you'll be the only one to blame if and when things get out of hand!" I addressed them all, earning an earnest nod from most of the people I could see. I smiled in satisfaction and sat down at the same table as Erza, wanting to get a few things straight with her.

"So, I'm guessing the Council didn't really intend on punishing you severely?" I quipped, earning a nod from the redhead as she sipped something that smelled like tea.

"Right. Siegrain clarified that the whole thing was just for show. The Magic Council only seemed interested in making an example out of me. If it weren't for Natsu, I would have made it back by yesterday afternoon." She stated.

"Yep, that's what I tried to tell everyone the other day. If the Council had planned on ever punishing Fairy Tail's members directly for collateral damage, they would have done so _years_ ago…" I chirped, looking at Natsu with a sigh. "I just wish that idjit hadn't landed you in even more trouble." Erza set her cup down for a moment.

"I'm not going to hold it against him. I know he meant well, and one night in prison isn't really that big of a deal." She countered; her voice was still cheerful but her inflection carried a slight reprimand. Erza must have thought I was holding a grudge against Natsu because of this.

"Yeah… don't get me wrong Erza; I know the guy had good intentions. And I'm not the kind of person who holds grudges or even takes revenge for its own sake. Honestly, I wanted to make a point. If Natsu doesn't even have the common sense to realize the gravity of his actions, he'll inevitably get himself killed." I explained, not wanting Erza to think I was motivated by anger. The swordswoman looked back at me with a slightly softer expression.

"You're right about that. That's been weighing on my mind as well lately. It would be an understatement to say that Natsu has a lot to learn," She concurred, her voice softening about as much as her face: still firm, but noticeably gentle and concerned. "If that was what you meant to communicate, then I appreciate your bluntness, Nikk." I had to smile at that.

"Hey. Bluntness is one of the only things that people like Natsu listen to. I'm just looking out for him." I said quite sheepishly, regressing into humility again. Erza rolled her eyes.

"Now you're behaving like an idiot," she scolded, and then crushed my head against her breastplate. Something told me she meant for that to be a hug, but I had to bite my tongue to keep from yelping in pain. "Your concern is what makes me appreciate it."

"Yeah, I got that…" I muttered in a tight voice, still steeling myself from the pain. "Erza… just for future reference… this type of hug hurts when you're wearing a breastplate." Once I said that much and sat up straight, I saw Erza's eyes widened.

"Of course, how could I be such a fool? I've done it for years and never gave it a second thought," Erza spluttered a bit frantically. "You have my deepest apologies, Nikk. If you like, you may strike me." I raised my eyebrow at that last part.

"Seriously? Well, I guess that depends. Would you feel better if I did?" I asked carefully, to which Erza nodded after a beat.

"As long as it isn't needlessly painful…" she clarified, to which I just nodded.

"Okay…" I said cautiously, then gave Erza a quick, backhanded slap that I delivered by only moving my wrist. Oddly enough, the redhead seemed satisfied.

"That… felt just right." She acknowledged slowly, giving me a small but warm smile. Just then, Elfman spoke up.

"Hey Natsu, you gonna finish going man-to-man with Erza?" The Takeover mage called, earning Natsu's attention for the first time that day. Natsu grinned, turning to where Erza and I sat.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that!" Natsu recalled eagerly, marching towards the redhead.

'Uh oh… I can tell that Erza isn't in the mood for this…' I thought, feeling a sympathetic degree of dread for Natsu's situation. If he couldn't take a hint…

"So whadda ya say, wanna pick up where we left off?" Natsu challenged eagerly.

"I'm not in the mood right now…" Erza answered. I hoped that would be enough to deter him, but Natsu just didn't get it. Instead, he ignited his fist.

"I'm not letting you off the hook that easy!" Natsu teased, charging towards Erza. She steeled herself a bit.

"I swear…" she muttered under her breathe, and almost effortlessly got out of her seat, avoided Natsu's attack and punched him right above the diaphragm.

'Did she just…' Natsu promptly collapsed in pain, groaning as if he had the wind knocked out of him, which he probably did. 'Yep, she did.'

"Dang, Erza," I marveled, captioning everyone's shock. "You realize you hit Natsu's solar plexus?" I noted. Erza nodded, but several other people, like Elfman, seemed confused.

"His what?" Gray wondered out loud. I sighed, but this time from patient exasperation.

"Your solar plexus is a bundle of nerves near your diaphragm, the muscle right above your stomach that lets you breathe. Hitting a person there is just as painful as hitting their funny bone," I explained, which made everyone gape for a few more seconds. "So I imagine it _really_ hurt for Natsu to get punched there." Everyone laughed at Natsu's expense, but we all knew he would be fine. I could tell they all just wanted to tease him. I'd heard malicious laughter before, and it didn't sound like that at all.

A few minutes later, however, I felt something quite alarming: drowsiness. But not the natural kind of drowsiness; it felt more like the magically induced kind of drowsiness. I heard Makarov mention something about being tired as well, and what he said next sent up a red flag in my mind: "He's coming."

Not keen on taking any risks or jumping to any conclusions, I quickly used one of my Divine Techniques.

" **Hantai** …" I murmured, making the sign of the cross in lieu of speaking a full prayer and potentially falling asleep. Thankfully, I felt the Lord's power flow into me, warding off the drowsiness. I didn't want to risk the consequences of casting it on everyone, in case there was a good reason for this happening. Then again, I didn't want to fall asleep myself and be unable to act if this meant trouble. All around me, everyone started to doze off very quickly.

"Not again…" Gray managed, then quickly and literally fell asleep.

"So tired…" Laki murmured, then promptly followed suit. One by one, every member of Fairy Tail fell asleep, until the only ones left awake were Makarov, Erza (who fell to her knees from fatigue) and me, thanks to the Resistance Prayer I had made. So long as this sleep spell remained in effect, it wouldn't faze me. Resistance called down a single-use safeguard spell which protected me from any status-afflicting magic that was cast within the next few seconds. Its only downside was that it didn't protect me from any direct attacks. I usually cast it on myself whenever I sensed an ambush or started to feel strange, making ready to evade any direct attacks that would come with it. That strategy had saved my bacon over and over again when the Balam Alliance put a bounty on me. I thanked God that I had learned it as I turned to face the spell's caster.

I deduced from his physique that he was most likely a man. He stood an inch or two taller than me, probably around a head taller than Erza. He wore a dark blue cloak, bandages around his arms and legs, a dark blue bandana with a silver forehead protector and a dark green mask that concealed the lower half of his face. Whoever he was, I knew why he cast the sleep spell. Between that and his state of dress, this man was doing everything in his power to hide his identity. But I knew his name by the staves he carried with him.

"Mystogan, I presume." I addressed him, getting to my feet. He seemed a little surprised that I was conscious.

"Wh-who are you?" he demanded. He sounded more surprised than anything, but I heard an undertone of menace in his voice. He even started to reach for one of his staves.

"Hey hey, calm down. I just joined Fairy Tail recently. My name is Nikku deRansu." I greeted, holding out my hand. After pausing for a second, Mystogan relaxed and shook my hand.

"My apologies, Nikku… You resemble someone I have bad blood with…" the S-Class wizard mused. Recognizing his desire to get the heck out of there, I released his hand and backed off.

"I don't want to hinder you. Please, be on your way." I assured, sitting back down to punctuate my point. Mystogan bowed briefly.

"Thank you…" he replied sincerely, then immediately went to the request board and grabbed one off of it just as quickly. He then walked towards the drowsy Master Makarov.

"I shall return." Mystogan assured him. Even his voice lulled my mind with its soft yet rich timbre. This guy reminded me of a pagan deity of dreams: Morpheus. He had the same relaxing voice, cloaked appearance and sleep-inducing presence that were attributed to Morpheus. I wondered if that was the gimmick behind his magic: manipulating a person's behavior and cognition. That would immediately explain how he achieved S-Class.

"No, wait. Lift your sleeping spell before you leave." Makarov urged. Mystogan turned to leave, counting back from five to one as he went. He passed Erza and me as he reached three, and I watched as he stepped out the door and left right after reaching one.

Everyone but Natsu instantly snapped awake, getting to their feet with varying degrees of speed.

"Oh man… was Mystogan here?" I heard Jet muttering.

"What a jerk." A similar voice replied, one which I hazarded a guess at belonging to the third member of Team Shadow Gear, whose name I had forgotten. I wanted to say Roy, but I knew it started with a D, not an R.

"Does he have to put us to sleep every time he comes here?" Levy moaned.

"Who's this Mystogan guy?" Lucy asked Elfman.

"For one, he's a contender for Fairy Tail's strongest wizard." Elfman started.

"Really?" Lucy marveled, still a bit drowsy from the effects of the spell.

"Yeah… and for some reason he doesn't want anyone to see what he looks like. So, whenever he comes here to take a job, he casts a sleeping spell." Gray summarized.

"That's kinda creepy." Lucy replied, her piercing soprano voice reflecting that sentiment in its tone.

"Master Makarov's the only person here who's ever gotten a good look at his face." Gray went on, but then he was interrupted but an unfamiliar voice; a loud and boisterous one.

"That's not true. I've seen him before." I looked up towards where I heard the voice coming from, and spotted its owner on the second floor landing, right above the guild entrance. I recognized his blonde hair and angular features immediately.

"Laxus!" Elfman addressed him first.

"Talk about rare." Macao added.

"You're never here." Wakaba agreed. The three of them all approached the door, looking up at him.

"…and here's another contender." Gray snarked, his body language betraying the distain he harbored towards Makarov's grandson. Between the blonde's arrogant-sounding voice and the smirk that he wore to go with it, I didn't really blame Gray. I already had a bad first impression of Laxus.

"Mystogan's just a little shy. You should all respect his privacy." Laxus went on, his voice undoubtedly marinated in self-importance. I didn't really feel a genuine degree of hatred towards anything, and I definitely didn't genuinely hate anyone. Still, hearing Laxus talk like that made my blood start to boil right away. I noticed everyone else pick up the same vibe to a certain degree, but Natsu apparently felt it strongly enough to finally wake up. He jumped to his feet.

"Alright Laxus! You and me, right now!" Natsu spat without hesitation, his fist raised. I was about to ask him a snarky rhetorical question, but Gray cut me off.

"Getting your butt kicked once today wasn't enough?" he grumbled. I chuckled.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Gray." I remarked, and then refocused on Laxus.

"Yeah, pal. If you can't even win against the redhead, why bother with me?" Laxus sneered, which succeeded in both ticking Erza off and making me even angrier.

"What are you trying to say?" Erza growled at him, gritting her teeth in anger.

"No need to get all worked up, Erza." Gray urged her in a fearful sing-song voice, as if he were talking her down from doing something stupid.

"Easy for you to say…" I groused, but Gray didn't seem to hear me.

"I'm saying that I'm the guild's strongest wizard." Laxus proclaimed, spreading his arms proudly. That comment finally pushed me over the edge. I flicked my hand at Laxus, intending to make a point. Three basketball-sized spheres of golden-white Light swirled into existence all around Laxus' head, buzzing with power. Those spheres were all densely-packed orbs of plasma, ones that I used as medium-ranged explosives. I could conjure and detonate them in about one second, and doing so was such a handy tactic that I used it as my most frequent offensive spell: Burst. As I suspected, they took Laxus completely off-guard, and he quickly braced himself in anticipation of an explosion. But the second he had done so, I turned my hand upward in a "stop" gesture, and the orbs fizzled out with a gentle whir. My ruse had lasted maybe three seconds, and happened too suddenly for anyone but Laxus to react.

"Beware, Laxus: there is more to strength than raw power. Case in point:…" I began, stifling a laugh. "…that hilarious cringing pose you've assumed." Once I pointed it out, everyone noticed and started laughing. In response to my attack, Laxus had cringed in a way that, without the immediate threat of a nearby explosion, made him look positively spineless. Unfortunately, that had the effect of ticking off Laxus pretty badly. Enough for him to jump off the landing, land cleanly on the first floor, and stalk towards me.

"Laxus…" Makarov warned. Erza stood by me protectively, Requipping a sword into her hand. I myself just stared back at him defiantly, ignoring the fact that he was a whole head taller than me.

"Be careful, noob. I don't care if you're this year's #1 Independent Wizard. If you mess with me, I will grind your ass into dust." Laxus growled, staring me down with his grayish-blue eyes. I scoffed.

"I'm not scared of you, Laxus. So far, you've only proven yourself to be a conceited bully and a pompous windbag." I spat right back at him, purposefully ignoring how my words might be affecting his pride. Against an arrogant prick like Laxus, I didn't care. He deserved to be called out.

"Those are fighting words, kid. Are you sure you wanna go there with me?" Laxus challenged in a voice sharp with menace. Lightning started flickering around him, filling the air near us with a static charge as tangible as the tension between us. Our guild-mates started muttering nervously.

"If you have the nerve to try it, Laxus, I'll take you on right now. But you're not worth it; I don't stand up to bullies unless they hit first." I growled, shooting him the sharpest look I could muster. I wanted this guy to understand that I wouldn't tolerate his crap this time or any time. Finally, after another thirty seconds of staring each other down, Laxus gave in and turned his back on me.

"Puh. I have work to do, deRansu. If I wasn't busy and we didn't have an audience, I'd take you up on that. For now, I have bigger fish to fry than some punk who thinks he can take me down. But you better not get on my bad side again, kid. Otherwise, the last thing Sorcerer Weekly will write about you will be your obituary." With that threat, Laxus vanished in a flash of lighting that made my hair stand on end. Unfortunately, all of that static discharged into Erza's nearby armor.

"Ah!" she exclaimed briefly, more as an expression of surprise than pain.

"Sorry. Static…" I apologized quickly.

"Well… that was tense." Gray remarked, his voice more of a deadpan than a full-blown snark.

After things calmed down, I finally got to ask Erza the question I had been meaning to get to.

"Erza. I need a hand with moving out of my apartment in Onibus. I would do it myself, but that would take all day, and I would prefer to move out of Onibus and move into Magnolia in one day. Otherwise I'd have to lug all my stuff to a hotel or something." I asked her, really hoping she would say yes. I felt ill at ease with the idea of spending half the day packing with anyone else. To my relief, the redhead nodded.

"Sure. A friend in need is a friend indeed, and I don't have anything better to do at the moment." Erza affirmed, getting to her feet and stretching her arms. I exhaled in relief.

"Excellent. Let's be on our way then. At this time of day, we can just have lunch on the train."

Rzjk ecy jpif pzje s dlreegx Xzrq Utl, mym lv'r swervepr lzcifi a czx hj gzif kn ytw airqt.


	7. Chapter 5 - Erza Scarlet

Chapter 5 – Erza Scarlet

Once Erza and I were alone on the train together, we almost felt like kids again. At least, that's how we both acted. From the moment we sat down, the two of us immediately started talking excitedly about all the things we had been doing in our jobs as wizards, swapping a seemingly unending supply of anecdotes. Erza shared stories of the opponents she had bested, the armor and weapons she had acquired, and the wacky shenanigans of her guild-mates. I found the story of when Natsu first met Gildarts particularly hilarious. Even though the two took an instant liking to one another, Natsu tried to follow Gildarts' example and punch through a wall. Long story short, he broke three of his proximal phalanges. The poor boy couldn't use his right hand for weeks, and had to have his childhood friend Lisanna help him with everything. Even worse, Lisanna had to stop him from hitting things with that hand whenever he got frustrated enough that he couldn't use it. Now that all of it was over, I found the story absolutely hysterical.

After she shared about a dozen of her stories, we went to the dining car and had lunch. While there, the two of us both found the other's appetite a bit surprising, in that the two of us together ate seven servings (three for me and four for Erza). Erza explained that our line of work gave her a big appetite, to which I simply laughed and agreed. Afterwards, having heard rumors about the redhead's affinity for cake, I insisted she try one of my favorite deserts: cheesecake. Erza seemed suspicious at first, thinking that cheesecake was cheese-flavored cake. Not only was she surprised to find that it came in strawberry flavor (which I ordered for both of us), Erza completely flipped out over how delicious it tasted.

When we got back to our seats for the last half hour of the trip, I started to talk about the things I had been doing over the years. None of my stories could hold a candle to Erza's in terms of humor, but the redhead later described them as harrowing. I shared many tales of my encounters with dark wizards, the things I had discovered about the world of magic, the few artifacts I had discovered while studying my ancestry… those sorts of things. But soon enough our train arrived at its destination.

I loved Onibus Town. It was large and developed enough that you could find anything you needed there, but still small enough to remain peaceful and quiet. I lived in a small but comfortable apartment one block east of the train station, right next to a busy chess café. It was a quaint, cozy place where I had lived for about eight years. Part of me was really going to miss the routines and memories I had made there. But the place was half destroyed now, and my landlady died a little over two weeks ago. Nostalgia simply wasn't worth the time or money it would cost to travel to & from Magnolia every day (2½ hours and 2000 jewel), _and_ sufficiently repair my apartment.

That encapsulated the reason why Erza and I were moving my things out. So, after we had gathered about a dozen cardboard boxes from the building's storage room, we set off towards my second floor apartment.

"Are you gonna do all this packing in your armor and skirt?" I asked her, a little more incredulously than I meant. She looked at me like I had just asked if her hair was naturally red.

"Yes. Why?" she answered, not really understanding what I meant. I sighed, shifting my grip on the boxes I carried.

"Well, the armor would seem kind of uncomfortable for carrying heavier objects. And the skirt seems _really_ impractical for bending over and picking things up repeatedly." I elaborated, reaching the top of the stairs shortly before Erza.

"Hmm… I suppose you do have a point. My armor does feel uncomfortable when it puts significant pressure on my body. And yes: knee-high boots and a skirt aren't exactly the most functional items of clothing for manual labor…" the swordswoman acknowledged, and then unceremoniously Requipped. When we reached my apartment door, I set my boxes down, reached into my pocket for my keys, and took the opportunity to see what Erza had changed into. It didn't exactly turn out to be a bad idea; but if I'd had liquid in my mouth at the time, I would've done a spit-take.

'Holy sweet mother of pearl…' I thought, absorbing all of the details in front of me within two seconds. Erza had forgone her armor, and underneath she wore a white, sleeveless blouse with a large blue bow and ruffles along its central seam. From the waist down, she only wore jeans, leaving her feet bare. She completed the look by having most of her hair pulled up beneath a red bandanna with a white Fairy Tail symbol on the forehead. Only two long portions of her scarlet locks escaped, framing her face in a stylishly adorable way.

Aside from the silhouetted view I had gotten during her Requip sequence yesterday, this was my first good look at Erza's mature physique. Moreover, I had a much better look at the details of her figure this time around, and I could only think of one word to adequately describe it: curvaceous. Everything from her shoulders to her knees struck me as utter perfection: smooth, strong thighs; deliciously wide hips; a midriff with an obscenely perfect width and contour; and a bust that was somehow even larger and rounder than Lucy's. So, in a nutshell, Erza had just as much sex appeal as she did actual beauty.

After blinking long enough to cut myself off from staring, I took the key I had retrieved from my pocket and unlocked the door, opening it nice and wide before going back to retrieve my stack of boxes. My lovely female companion stepped inside while I did that, and as I followed her, I wound up taking another half second to appreciate her butt, which looked just as alluring as her hips.

'Okay, you've seen her entire body now. That's enough.' I thought to myself, squeezing my eyes shut to get the point across. Thankfully, she started talking. Erza had a deep, strong alto voice, one which I would love to hear singing. Hearing it always seemed to help clear my head.

"What happened here…?" she murmured, clearly referring to my apartment's state of disrepair. Everything from the kitchen to the living room looked like it had been attacked by a dozen eight-year-old Natsus.

"The Balam Alliance happened. This was the handiwork of several bounty hunters who must have hoped to find me. They even had the gall to murder my landlady, Lorelei…" I muttered darkly, speaking in a bitter tone of voice that I really didn't mind the unpleasantry of. I had every right to sound mad about this, despite making sure I kept my attitude in the right place.

"That's awful…" Erza whispered, sounding rather horrified. I gave her a weak smile when she turned back to face me.

"It's alright, Erza. These are just utilities. I can replace everything in this room without much hassle," I promised, leading her to my bedroom. "I keep my more irreplaceable things in here." I dispelled the heavy shielding runes I had set up in front of the door (and wall) leading to my bedroom, allowing Erza to follow me inside. Honestly, I spent most of my time at home in my bedroom, and it showed. I hadn't properly made my bed in years, and my closet was always wide open. Plus, I never bothered to close the compartment in my wall leading to what I liked to call my "treasury". I kept _all_ of my weapons, books, research, antiques, heirlooms, artifacts and collectibles in that room, such that it looked like a fusion between a library, a museum, a study and an armory. The lighting fit the atmosphere of it, too: just a few lanterns here and there.

"Wow…" Erza marveled, slowly setting her load of boxes down as she took it all in. "This is remarkable, Nikk. I've never seen such an extensive collection before…" She gently ran her fingers along a hand-carved bow I had made myself and used during a few monster-slaying missions. I smiled with a bit of pride.

"Yes indeed. This room is pretty much a compendium of my life's work. I even have a stack of binders cataloging all the job requests I've taken over each year." I noted, my smile broadening at how awed Erza seemed by everything she saw.

"How did you fit all of this in here?" she wondered out loud, admiring a sword I had been crafting to mimic the powers of my father's sword.

"I managed it with a nifty little rune spell designed to create an extra room that exists in a pocket dimension." I replied. Erza nodded.

"You'll have to show it to me sometime."

So, we got right down to business after that. Luckily, all the boxes I had grabbed were the size of small crates, so everything in that room fit into a box. That, in turn, allowed us to devote all of the focus we needed to packing… and any of our remaining focus to talking. Erza reacted with interest to many of the things we packed away, and a few of the weapons left her openly fascinated.

"Do you typically wield any of these weapons with your sword?" Erza asked at one point, after putting away my third and final collapsible spear. I chuckled.

"Most of the time, no; I don't. I usually wield one of these weapons whenever I know it'll come in handy during a particular mission. Frankly, I wouldn't last more than a few minutes if I tried using any of them in protracted combat. But I do carry a good-sized dagger with me whenever I'm up against someone especially skilled in close combat." I noted that last part with a mischievous smirk, moving aside my duster to reveal a foot-long dagger sheathed at my right hip. Erza raised an eyebrow.

"Oh. So you make a habit of holding back in a fight?" Erza prodded, to which I nodded emphatically.

" _Oh_ yeah. I rarely have to go all out nowadays, but I always train as if I'll need to at a moment's notice. Speaking of that, do you want to know a secret?" I whispered, smirking a bit. Erza regarded me with a bit of amusement.

"Shoot." She deadpanned, but I could tell she was curious.

"Alright, here it is. Whenever it comes up in conversation, I've mentioned that one of my methods for doing my jobs so well is wielding my sword in my left hand." I explained excitedly, but Erza surprised me by figuring out what I was about to say.

"Let me guess: the secret is that you're not actually left-handed. So whenever things get bad enough, you switch to using your right hand," I nodded.

"Wow Erza… not that I expected any less of you, but I didn't think you would figure that out right away." I admitted, not seeing any point in hiding my bewilderment. Erza looked at me like she was humoring a bad joke I had just told.

"It's actually a fairly common trick for wizards who rely on swordsmanship. I did the same thing for a while until I learned to Requip more dependably. Besides, wielding weapons like swords efficiently happens to be my area of expertise. If you're able to further supplement your swordsmanship, I would guess that doing so involves using that dagger you showed me in your left hand." Erza went on; picking up on the clever smirk I'd had just moments ago. I chuckled after a brief pause.

"Wow… remind me to never underestimate your analytical thinking, Erza. I honestly never knew you could be so observant." I acknowledged with a genuinely impressed feeling I hadn't experienced since… well, longer than I could remember. My redheaded companion gave a chuckle of her own.

"I do it all the time. It's the first strategy I fall back on in combat." She clarified. From there we kept packing and talking for a while, turning to the subjects of our combat experiences. Before too long (around the time we had packed away half of my treasury), Erza came outright and asked how exactly my magic worked. So, I went into detail explaining that to her.

Essentially, I had learned to wield four different types of magic. Such a broad range of skills was made possible by the first type I had acquired: the Arc of Creation. I told her what I told Mirajane, except I elaborated upon it slightly. The Arc of Creation could essentially be thought of as a mixture of four different types of magic. One third of it resembled Light-Maker magic, which accounted for its versatility and ability to create objects (with the added effect of the Light taking on whatever properties I needed for a given spell). Another third of it resembled Natsu's Slayer Magic in its power and ability to strengthen my attacks, except with the aforementioned use of Light and being effective against Demons rather than Dragons.

"So… Light Demon Slayer Magic?" Erza quipped when I mentioned that part.

"Yeah, pretty much." I agreed. Erza and I both laughed at how seriously we had referred to such a strange-sounding idea. I then moved on to the remaining attributes of the Arc of Creation. I pointed out that one sixth of its attributes resembled the Arc of Embodiment, inasmuch that it had the ability to create permanent physical objects rather than shapes and forms made of Light. Doing so, however, required much more concentration and magic energy on my part, so I used that aspect of the Arc mostly as a mundane utility.

"What do you mean, 'mundane utility'?" Erza interrupted me.

"Oh, you know… replacing broken clock pieces. Conjuring things like a needle and thread when I can't find real ones… that sort of thing." I mused. Erza mentioned that she used her Requip magic to a similar effect, only for changing clothes on short notice.

"Wow… that sounds _really_ handy." I admitted, wishing that I could instantly change clothes like that. Erza nodded emphatically.

"Oh, it _is_. **Especially** when my armor is severely damaged in battle." She agreed with an undertone of, "You don't know the half of it" in her voice. I had to laugh at what she had implied.

"Okay, now it sounds _impossible_ to take for granted." I chuckled and then wrapped up my description of the Arc of Creation. The final sixth of its power could be compared to Memory-Make Magic, not only because Light could take on the properties of other types of magic, but also because the Arc of Creation allowed me to incorporate other types of magic into my repertoire with much greater ease. Once I had finished describing the Arc of Creation, I saw a look on Erza's face that if I didn't know any better would have resembled amazement.

"That's incredible, Nikk. And you said that this Magic was taught among all of your people?" She asked, to which I nodded.

"Really, every direct descendant of the Celestial Guardians has a knack for learning it, but everyone in my home was taught to both learn and master it by their thirteenth birthday, at the _latest._ " I confided. Erza seemed a little surprised by that.

"Wait… you said most children are taught to use that magic almost from birth?" She asked, citing something I had mentioned earlier.

"Yes. My people taught their children as much as they could understand at their age. In fact, they took that approach with everyone right up into their adult life." I confirmed. Erza nodded.

"That sounds... rather strange. Almost like your people were raised to be soldiers." She noted. I chuckled a bit, having had that same thought rather often.

"Actually, that's not as far off from the truth as you would think. Need I remind you: Celestial Guardians were the first to carry out the service of wizards as you and I know it today. And back in their early days, my people had to deal with problems ranging from demons and dragons to eldritch abominations and apocalypse-level dark magic." I blathered excitedly, always managing to rile myself up whenever the importance of my ancestors came up in conversation. Erza's eyes widened a little.

"I... I'd never thought of your ancestry that way..." She murmured. I couldn't help but sigh in return.

"Yeah... most people don't..." I murmured a little more forlornly than I meant to. But I quickly dismissed that little tangent and moved on to the other types of magic I had acquired. I decided to go ahead and cover the subject of my Divine Techniques, since all of those were quite spectacular despite amounting to little more than prayers. Still, I conceded to her that each of them constituted very powerful spells in their own right.

With **Guide** (literally tsūjiru – "lead"), I gained short-term precognition regarding a critical decision that I couldn't effectively discern the solution to. With **Dispel** (literally dizorubu – "dissolve"), I could undo any harmful or unnatural spell whose consequences were more immediate than its solution. With my **Resistance** technique (literally hantai – "opposition"), I could safeguard myself from any magically-inflicted infirmities (giving my encounter with Mystogan as an example). My **Illuminate** technique (literally sarakedasu – "reveal") doubled as an ineluctable lie detector and a way of negating illusions and visual impairment. My **Consecrate** technique (literally sasageru – "devote") leant itself to three different uses: authenticating a person's baptism, blessing a forged weapon with the properties of a Holy Weapon and linking a person's magic energy to God rather than the physical world. The third use, however, only worked on people who had genuinely committed their lives to God. Otherwise, nothing happened.

Finally, I had only one Divine Technique with any practical applications in combat, one which I had acquired just two years ago: **Stillness** (literally shizukesa – "tranquility"). **Stillness** activated a magical stance which, although it had the potential to eat through my full reserves of magic within an hour _on its own_ , gave me an extreme advantage against tough opponents. For one thing, it automatically balanced the strength and magic consumption of my spells, which allowed me to devote far more concentration to the complexity and effects of my attacks. For another thing, **Stillness** enveloped my body in a peculiar enchantment that greatly boosted the defensive attributes of my magic and affected my opponents' attacks in a way which made it easy to counterattack quite promptly. The only downside to **Stillness** was that it literally halved my natural agility, though it compensated for this by enabling short-range teleportation (no farther than ten feet). Unlike my other Divine Techniques, I could use **Stillness** for something other than an emergency. However, it never worked unless I knew with absolute certainty that I would be defeated without using it.

Once Erza and I had established my magic's unique brand of excellence once more (though this time she didn't seem nearly as impressed), I started to explain my more supplementary magic arts. One of them was known as Channeling, a Lost Art which I had only discovered through years of persistent research. In its time, Channeling had been the bread-and-butter of most Combat Medics, providing three abilities to that end. The first was simply and literally known as **Empathetic Healing** , which allowed the user to heal a person's wounds by absorbing those wounds into their own body. The most effective method of using **Empathetic Healing** in such a way involved absorbing just enough of the patient's wounds that both parties came away with their bodies in a similar state, ideally saving both of their lives in the long haul. The second application, known simply as **Sharing** , did the same with each party's reserves of magic energy. The final application, known as **Overdrive** , devoted the user's magic energy to the enhancement of their body's natural capabilities. With a full payload of magic, a person using **Overdrive** could lift disproportionate amounts of weight, enhance their speed greatly enough that time seemed to stop, and allowed them to survive otherwise fatal blows. Such incredible feats, however, would burn through almost all of their magic energy at once. More often, **Overdrive** was used to briefly enhance the user's reflexes, temporarily equal a physically stronger opponent in a fist fight, move with the speed necessary to dodge multiple high-speed projectiles, accelerate their body's natural ability to heal, et cetera. In short, **Overdrive** leveled the playing field for those whose physical prowess would otherwise be a significant weakness. I, however, used it whenever I needed to push myself farther beyond my limits than I could otherwise manage. Channeling had given me the strength, speed and durability to combat monsters, wizards and demons of otherwise unstoppable power.

Finally, I had developed a well-rounded mastery of telekinesis. Really, unlocking the full power of my mind was the only way I could continue to improve my use of the Arc of Creation, and I simply used it to that end. However, that had led to me acquiring a 3-D mental map of my surroundings which I could see in my mind's eye, a limited capacity for mind-reading (emphasis on limited), an equally finite aptitude for persuasion, an enhanced degree of mental and emotional empathy (which I used to compensate for my social awkwardness), and obviously the ability to move objects with my mind. I'd had the most practice with the last application of telekinesis, to the point that I could pull off feats with my mind which weren't far from equaling what I could do with my body.

I'd also added some miscellaneous spells to my skill set; enough that I could literally count them on my hand. The only noteworthy one of these was **Aera** , which provided flight by the same means employed by Exceeds, like Natsu's companion Happy.

"Wait wait wait… you can use the same wing spell as Happy?" Erza repeated, a bit incredulously I might add.

"Yes. Celestial Guardians are, in fact, the only humans in recorded history who have managed to use it." I confirmed, briefly losing the humility I normally maintained.

"Show me." Erza responded, as more of an order than a request. I found it a bit silly that she wanted to see **Aera** out of all the incredible things I had described, but I didn't argue with her over. I just shrugged.

"Okay." Setting down the box I had just filled, I moved to a part of the room where I wouldn't knock anything over. Then, I just concentrated on doing what I had done several times before. Just like clockwork, a gleaming pair of angelic wings materialized at my back, with a wingspan roughly equal to my height. Erza admired them for a moment.

"How are they connected to your back? I didn't see any hole in your clothes." She asked, catching me off-guard with such a mundane question after the disbelief she had just exhibited.

"They don't. These are made of Light Magic, not actual flesh or feathers. If you were to look, you'd see that they sort of fade away at the point where they would normally break through my clothes." I clarified, earning a nod of understanding from the redhead.

"Yes, I see. I must say, they look quite majestic on a human…" she mused, to which I nodded with a chuckle.

"You can say that again. I spent five minutes admiring myself in the mirror the first time I pulled this spell off. I was nine at the time." We both laughed at that, and then returned to the task at hand. Erza then went on to explain her most frequently used armors, the powers they granted and the ways in which she had learned to use them over the years. Overall, the two of us developed a mutual admiration for one another's strength, jokingly calling ourselves "The Sword and Sorcerer" of Fairy Tail. Plus we made a promise to fight each other sooner than later, as a way for me to get stronger and for Erza to test my mettle as a wizard.

Finally, at around 1:30 in the afternoon, all of the things in my treasury and bedroom had been packed away, allowing me to effectively move out. I left a note at the front desk which paid the portion of my rent that I still owed, announced that I would be leaving and apologized for the destruction of my room. After that, Erza and I went straight back to Magnolia Town. Thankfully, I was left with plenty of time to find and buy a place to live near the guild hall. I settled on a small but cozy two story house about five blocks away, and to my surprise, Erza actually chose to help me unpack.

"I like to see my commitments through to completion." She replied when I asked if she had better things to do. So, we continued talking while getting my belongings situated. The only piece of my own furniture that remained salvageable was my bed, which Erza and I carried together with nominal ease. Really, the unpacking process remained fairly simple. The bed went in the master bedroom (which I planned on fully furnishing tomorrow). My kitchenware and toiletries were put away in the kitchen and bathroom, respectively. My books and retired weapons went on display in the house's study. Finally, my weapons and artifacts got put in the basement, which I planned on eventually turning into two separate rooms: one for forging and alchemy, and another for research and writing.

Eventually, when Erza and I had more or less run out of things to talk about, all but one of my things remained unpacked. It didn't command much attention in and of itself: a black case about 3½ feet in length and roughly nine inches in width. To the casual observer, it might resemble the case for a musical instrument. The only really odd thing about it was the coppery inscription on one side: זמן בלתי מוגבל. When Erza asked, I gave her a "you don't want to know" glance and left it at this: "The most sinister artifact my people have come to possess. The consequences of it falling into the wrong hands are too dire for me to abandon its fate to chance."

Shortly thereafter, Erza decided to take her leave.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Nikk. Oh, and, I was wondering… would you considering joining the team I've formed with Natsu, Gray and Lucy?" Erza asked, to which I heartily agreed.

"Absolutely! That sounds like a recipe for 24/7 adventure!" I chirped, not being able to keep from grinning. Erza gave another of her soft, captivating smiles.

"That's wonderful to hear. I'll see you then." On that note, the redhead left. The rest of that day wasn't really noteworthy in any way. I bought about half of the furniture I needed for my new house, which, along with the cost for groceries, exhausted the portion of my savings I reserved for immediate spending. But I didn't mind. Today had been a great day.

Seeing Erza again brought me incredible satisfaction, and I could tell that she was happy to see me as well. Even as pen-pals, the two of us agreed that considering ourselves best friends would be highly accurate. So much so that Erza felt comfortable with the idea of saying so in public. Frankly, the idea of working with her filled me with glee.

Honestly, I found Erza to be one of the most likable people I'd ever met. She was kind, brave, hard-working, and much smarter than anyone gave her credit for, plus she always knew how to speak gently or bluntly. Granted, Erza didn't always say the best things at the best times, but I could always tell her heart was in the right place. Like me, she also had a lot of scars rooted in trauma from her past, which deepened our bond significantly. And there was _no one_ I would trust more to have my back in a fight. I couldn't wait to see what lay in the future for the two of us, not to mention our guild.

But in hindsight, I only really wound up being right about the unpredictability of that future.

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	8. Chapter 6 - Something to Prove

Chapter 6 – Something to Prove

My next day at Fairy Tail didn't exactly go as I planned it to, either. I made sure to stop by a bank before I did anything else, withdrawing the amount of money I typically kept at one time for spending purposes: 100,000 jewel. After that, I headed straight for the guild-hall, hoping to start my first mission with Team Natsu. But when I got there, I couldn't find Happy, Natsu, Gray, Lucy or even Erza. Feeling skeptical towards the possibility of them leaving without me, I flagged down Mirajane to see if she knew anything.

"Well… here's what happened," she began, quickly delivering the drinks she had been carrying before going on. "Yesterday, not long after you and Erza left actually, Natsu stole an S-Class quest from the second floor. None of us found out until just this morning, and Gray left to bring them back about ten minutes ago." I scoffed in disgust and smacked my forehead against the heel of by hand.

"Ugh… should I be surprised, or does Natsu's recklessness usually involve breaking the rules?" I asked in exasperation. Mirajane paused for a moment before answering.

"Usually, he only breaks the rules when he makes clueless mistakes or has something to prove." The barmaid answered. I sighed, letting go of my frustration.

"Okay… I just hope Gray keeps that hot-headed doofus from getting himself or Lucy into too much trouble…" I mused, moving on to a more cheerful subject. "On another note, have you seen your younger brother Elfman anywhere? The day Erza got arrested, he and I decided to have our own one-on-one tussle at some point. I figure today is as good of a time for it as any." Mirajane smiled, pointing over her shoulder.

"He's right over there, probably waiting to ask you himself. He seems pretty excited about it, too." The model giggled a bit, and I smirked eagerly.

"That makes two of us…" I chuckled. Not wanting to waste time swimming through the guild's crowd of members, I temporarily conjured a foot-tall stool, stepped up onto it and cupped my hands around my mouth.

"Yo! Elfman!" I called, immediately earning the muscular berserker's attention.

"Yeah Nikk?" He called back, a fleeting look of anticipation darting across his face. I let my confident eagerness show itself completely on my face, turning my expression into a cheeky grin.

"I'm ready when you are."

The turnout was about the same as with Natsu and Erza, if not a smidgen greater. About a third of the people I could see and hear were whispering and looking at me with curiosity.

"This dude is fighting Elfman?"

"The new guy?"

"He's gonna get creamed."

"Are you kidding? Sorcerer Weekly called him the most powerful loner in Fiore. Elfman is toast." I recognized the voice: that third member of Team Shadow Gear whose name I couldn't place.

"Seriously Droy? It's Sorcerer Weekly, not the Magic Council. If this guy was really the strongest in Fiore, he would've earned the title of a Wizard Saint by now." Jet retorted, satisfying my curiosity.

' _Droy_! _That's_ his name. I can't believe I forgot it; that is a seriously weird name…' I thought to myself.

"Yeah Droy. Besides, he was named Fiore's most _successful_ independent wizard, not the strongest." Levy clarified, shortly before Elfman pounded his fists together. Assuming that signaled his readiness to begin, I focused on my opponent and drew my sword, pulling up my telepathic 3-D radar in the background of my vision, so the two images synchronized. Everything I saw began to shift and shimmer rhythmically, like it was all underwater.

"You ready for this, Nikk?" Elfman challenged, to which I assumed my battle stance; my sword held at my left side, my right arm held out straight with the palm raised.

"Ready when you are, Elfman. I'm looking forward to seeing how a real man like you fights." I affirmed, restraining enough of my excitement to avoid sounding undignified.

"Nikk." A familiar voice cut through the noise and quickly shut everyone up. Everybody knew that voice, and the firmness it had acquired did _not_ sound friendly. I turned to see Erza at the head of the crowd, her hands planted on her shapely hips.

"Yeah Erza?" I replied expectantly, hesitantly lowering my right arm. The redhead scrutinized me with a contemplative look, the kind people usually gave before saying something like, "Hmm, where do I begin?" But instead, the redhead gave a brief, mischievously amused smile. The only other time I had seen that kind of a smile, the person in question admitted that they enjoyed making people feel tense.

"I expect your best effort. My money is on you… literally." Erza ordered. I gave her a thumbs-up and winked.

"Yes ma'am." I replied, turning back to face Elfman. A few seconds later, Makarov kicked off the event just like he did two days ago.

"Round one start!" he declared.

Elfman wasted no time in getting down to business. He lunged at me immediately.

"Beast Arm: Black Bull!" he bellowed, his right arm transforming into a different appendage. It was large, black and indeed very similar to the hide of a bull. The fist alone looked large enough to crush a basketball as easily as a water balloon. But I didn't let the large fist bearing down on me break my concentration. Instead, I let my instincts and reflexes take over, lunging to the right and evading Elfman's attack by about ¼ of a second. Landing in a somersault, I quickly turned my head towards Elfman and thrust my right arm in his direction. The spell I'd chosen immediately flew from my hand: Laser. My default Laser spell was just a six-inch-diameter beam of Light with the striking force of a large, erupting geyser. I used it as another of my default attacks: simple, effective, almost hot enough to burn, and usually strong enough to inflict recoil. In Elfman's case, it threw off his momentum enough that he hit the ground. I stood up straight and faced my opponent as he got back to his feet.

"Nice start, toro." I teased, mirroring Elfman's steps as he paced clockwise around our field of battle, searching carefully for an opening. He chuckled a bit.

"Gotta give you credit, Nikk. You're a lot faster than you look," Elfman conceded. "But a real man would have tried to take a hit like that instead of dodging it." I laughed.

"Oh really," I stopped pacing and held my arms out invitingly. "Then come at me." The white-haired tough guy seemed suspicious at first, but then he took the initiative and charged at me, this time across the ground rather than from above. I quickly planted my feet and held out my hand to meet his strike, Channeling enough durability into my arm to catch a point-blank cannon ball (at least, that's the amount of force I envisioned for the spell). Fittingly enough, the resulting collision of his fist with my palm sounded a lot like a cannon shot. Before he could lose his forward momentum, I slashed my sword up at him. The blow didn't faze him much, but my real intent was what happened next: a hurricane of energy arcs enveloped Elfman, behaving and affecting him like real sword strikes. Finally, I threw my opponent back with a well-placed Burst attack, which exploded with the force of a grenade. Impressively enough, Elfman landed on his feet, albeit at the opposite end of our battlefield.

"Had enough yet, Elfman?" I goaded, already knowing the answer he would give. I hoped I wasn't out of line with my teasing, but I found it hard to resist while fighting for sport. Still, he answered in a novel way that I didn't expect.

"Are you kidding me? I'm just getting warmed up!"

* * *

Erza had always wondered what Nikk would look like in the heat of battle. Now, as she watched him unleash his skill and power against Elfman, she knew the answer to that question in just one word: elegant. Seeing the way in which Nikk's demeanor changed struck a chord within the redhead. Rather than acting with kindness, gentleness and a sense of yielding humility, the brunette acquired a different brand of behavior in battle. He acted with grace, confidence and a strong sense of purpose which Erza found nominally attractive. Once again, the only other person she had seen such a thing in was Jellal.

As for his magic… Erza was taken off guard by the way in which it manifested. Despite it fitting the description he had given yesterday, Erza doubted Nikk could have done justice to the Arc of Creation. Nikk seemed to paint all of his spells into existence, as though his magic was the paint and the fabric of reality his canvas. Lasers, explosions, lightning and occasionally something absurd like a giant pair of cymbals, which Nikk found quite funny. Erza herself couldn't help but smirk at how discombobulated the musical attack rendered Elfman.

But the Strauss brother had years of combat experience and a prodigious amount of durability to his name. Elfman quickly figured out that frontal assaults were all but futile against Nikk, and from there the battle shifted slightly in his favor. Rather than having total control over the battle, Nikk wound up simply having the edge against Elfman. Then Elfman got wise, and started using his superior strength and stamina as his primary tool in battle. While this essentially amounted to the Takeover wizard forcing his way through Nikk's attacks, the battle started to turn in his favor. After pressing that advantage for five minutes or so, Elfman forced the Celestial Guardian to fight more defensively.

"Come on, Nikk, you can do it…" Erza muttered under her breath, knowing with absolute certainty that he could. The man simply had too many tricks up his sleeve to be beaten by sheer brute force. At some point, however, Elfman landed an otherwise devastating blow to Nikk which the latter barely managed to block with a conjured force field. Judging by the sound he made, it must have hurt almost as much as a direct blow. The brunette fell to one knee, stabbing his sword into the ground for support and panting.

"Humph. Had enough yet, Nikk?" Elfman asked in a tone that would have sounded biting if the bruiser wasn't so clearly enjoying himself. Nikk looked up and laughed breathlessly.

"Nah. I'm just a little winded, that's all. Gimme another ten seconds and I'll be on my feet…" he promised, and indeed got to his feet ten seconds later, his breathing close to normal.

"Okay then… guess it's time to take things up a notch…" the Celestial Guardian mused, then smirked. "Hey Elfman. Wanna hear a secret?" Elfman tensed, likely anticipating an attack.

"What's that?" he asked cautiously. Nikk grinned, then quickly passed his sword to his right hand, drew his dagger with his left, and assumed a stance with the former raised above his head and the latter held somewhat low, so his arms described a C formation.

"I am not left-handed!" Nikk cried excitedly, rushing at Elfman. After that, the brunette's tactics completely changed. Rather than employing a tactful, spell-focused approach that emphasized range and defense, Nikk started incorporating his magic into his closed-ranged attacks, showing a deadly affinity for swordplay and focusing instead on speed and strength. If Natsu were there, Erza knew he would have freaked out about how awesome Nikk looked by his destructive standards.

Poor Elfman could hardly keep up well enough to employ his strategy of overpowering his opponent's attacks. Most of the time, Nikk moved too quickly for that to work. And even when Elfman succeeded, Nikk simply forced him back with a stronger magic attack. At one point, Elfman had the Celestial Guardian pinned in a wrestler's hold. But when everyone started counting, Nikk yelled in challenge and released an explosive burst of Light magic _from his entire body_ , which literally blew Elfman away.

Ultimately, Nikk's impressive reserves of magic energy combined with his overwhelming versatility proved to be too much for Elfman's brute force and stamina. After about ten minutes, the white haired bruiser fell to a high-speed lunging strike from both of Nikk's blades. Nikk landed cleanly on one knee, whereas Elfman crumpled to both knees and caught himself with both hands on the ground. The brunette got to his feet and sheathed his sword and dagger, smirking.

"Well… that was fun. Think you're up for another round in a little bit?" Nikk addressed Elfman calmly, acting as though he hadn't just beaten the snot out of him. The Takeover wizard, still panting from fatigue, shook his head after a second or two.

"Nah, I've had enough, Nikk. Thanks anyway, though..." Elfman panted, slowly regaining his wind as he spoke. He honestly sounded a little dejected. The Celestial Guardian smiled graciously, and even walked over and offered Elfman a hand.

"Don't think badly of yourself, buddy. You were a tough nut to crack for most of the battle. Out of all the opponents I've faced who focus on brute force, you were the only one I've ever had to draw both of my weapons to beat. That's quite an achievement, because I once fought a Minotaur." Nikk chuckled, staggering a bit as Elfman took his hand. Once both men were on their feet, Nikk shook Elfman's hand.

"In other words, you put up one heck of a fight." The brunette summarized, to which Elfman nodded and slapped him on the back.

"Same to you, Nikk… Fairy Tail has heard a lot about you from the letters you sent to Erza. I don't say this very often, but you're a real man. Thanks for the workout." Elfman replied. And just like that, the fight was over. Nikk had won.

* * *

Honestly, I felt pretty great about beating Elfman. I could tell it gave him a much-needed taste of humility if nothing else. A _really_ real man had to have a confident sense of humility. I wasn't really one to talk, but nobody could fairly accuse me of not trying.

Once we all returned to the guild hall, Laxus immediately killed my good mood with his incessant self-important blathering. Between Elfman getting his butt kicked by a "noob", Natsu and Lucy taking off with an S-Class job, and all of the other trouble Fairy Tail had gotten into, the guy just couldn't seem to shut up. Finally, when Laxus talked back to Makarov after the former told him to behave, I _finally_ lost my temper. I slammed my hand down on my table and jumped to my feet, startling Erza, who had been sitting across from me eating a slice of cake.

"Laxus, seriously! _Shut_. _Up_! In case you haven't noticed, nobody here cares about your ego. I'm normally very patient, but nothing angers me more quickly than arrogant bullies like you! If you honestly think you're all that and a bag of chips, then come over here and prove it to me. Otherwise, just _**shut up**_." I snapped, releasing all of the anger I felt. Enough of it escaped through my face for everyone in my direct line of sight to cower in fear. Laxus, who had just come downstairs with an S-Class job request, sneered at me.

"Oh yeah? And why should I be bothered to prove myself to the likes of you, _noob_?" Laxus countered. Makarov stood up.

"That's enough out of the both of you!" the old man barked, but I wasn't done yet.

"Because I have eight years of experience as a wizard, and nine more years worth of training in magic and combat, armed and unarmed. Even without my magic or my weapons, I am a black belt in Muay Thai and Tae Kwan Do. So if you think for one second that I shouldn't be taken seriously, then _think again_." I hissed, tempted to return Laxus' sneer but opting to restrain myself instead. Lightning started flickering around the blonde yet again, which told me that I had at least gotten the jerk to listen.

"Jeez… for someone who hates me for being arrogant, you sure know how to blow your own horn, buddy." Laxus growled, the undertone of a threat entering his voice. I sighed.

"I'm not trying to brag, Laxus. I _am_ trying to get it through your head that I won't put up with you acting like a conceited jackass. You shouldn't blow off me or anyone else just because we happen to be new or imperfect." I grumbled. Laxus laughed.

"Oh really? Well if you want me to take you seriously, then how about you come over here and make me?" Laxus challenged, taunting me as though he thought I was backing off. At that point, however, Makarov put his foot down.

" **Enough!** " He bellowed, growing in size until he stood eight feet tall. " **I will not have my children bickering over something as petty as strength! Nikk, I expect you to hold your tongue about Laxus' behavior from now on! Laxus, take your job request and be on your way instead of looking down on your guild-mates!** " After that, Laxus and I both shut up, and did exactly as the Master told us. Once Laxus had left, Makarov returned to his normal size and approached me.

"Nikk, for what it is worth, I appreciate your willingness to stand up to Laxus' misbehavior. However, I want you to abstain from trying to enforce it. If he will not listen to his own grandfather, it is not your place to try and make him listen to you." The old man gently admonished me, standing beside me and placing his small hand on my shoulder. I sighed again.

"I apologize for that much, Master. I will not, however, apologize for my own intentions. I was defending the honor of our guild, not trying to force Laxus to stay in line. His arrogance wouldn't tick me off so badly if he wasn't acting that way towards his _own guild_. I just… there's no excuse for it." I admitted, feeling a bit guilty for how I had acted up. If Makarov hadn't intervened, I probably _would've_ attacked Laxus just to put him in his place. But hindsight 20/20, I felt relieved that I hadn't.

"I understand, Nikku-kun. I felt the same away towards many of my guild-mates back in my day. Granted, you have a lot more restraint than I did, but I recognize a lot of the sentiments you've spoken of. Loyalty, humility, empathy… they are all important things. Just don't try and enforce your ideal of perfection on others. Convince them of as much as they will voluntarily accept, but let them learn and grow in their own time." The Master instructed me in a firm, gentle tone that my father had used whenever he wanted me to understand something and learn from it right away. I nodded, regaining my happier demeanor.

"Thank you, Master. I'm glad that we see eye-to-eye on the importance of those virtues." I replied, my voice warm with the gratitude that filled my heart. Makarov ruffled my hair with an enlarged hand.

"I'm glad that you've learned of that importance, Nikk. You've acquired a lot of wisdom in a short amount of time. Just don't ignore the experience you gain along the way. For now, I want you to think about what is worth fighting for. Having something to prove is a double-edged sword." Leaving it at that, Makarov took his leave. When I looked at Erza, she had a look on her face I had seen from dozens of people by now. That kind of look said, "Go ahead; I can tell you have some thinking to do". So I mulled over the Master's words for a while, reflecting on some of my more recent experiences.

'What _am_ I trying to prove…?'

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* * *

Just some house-keeping items. First and most importantly, I would thoroughly appreciate reviews. It lets me know who is taking interest in the story, what I'm doing well, what I'm doing poorly... things like that. Also, my inconsistent updating is going to be a regular thing, though I promise to not take more than a week on any of my chapters... at least not until my college classes start up again. Either way, expect updates to come promptly for a while.

That's about it for now. Enjoy!

* * *

Latest Update

Okay, this chapter has undergone a much needed tune-up. I did my best to fix any bugs that made Nikk seem like a Mary Sue. Because that's _not_ what I'm going for with his character arc.


	9. Chapter 7 - Changeling

Chapter 7 – Changeling

The rest of that day went on less eventfully, but not any less enjoyably. Erza and I spent that time finishing the job of shopping for furniture, though it surprised me when she insisted on going. After we had filled my living room to both of our likings (and withdrawn from my bank account multiple times), we stopped at a ramen stand for lunch.

"Wow. This is, without exaggeration, the best ramen I have ever tasted." I marveled in between mouthfuls.

"Indeed. Many members of Fairy Tail have stopped here on their way to and from jobs. The chef who makes this ramen takes a great deal of pride in his work." Erza clarified, and then returned to eating. I promptly did the same.

"So, what's your opinion of Fairy Tail so far?" Erza asked after a moment, looking up at me expectantly. I thought for about a minute, wanting to answer honestly.

"I've really enjoyed it. But, if I'm honest, the sheer quirkiness of your guild-mates will take some getting used to," I conceded. "So… would you have anything to say about me as a member of Fairy Tail?" Erza only took about 15 seconds to answer.

"Personally, I think you still have a lot to learn. I know you've acquired a lot of skills over the years, but it seems like you try too hard to be the hero. In spite of what you may have accomplished in the past, Fairy Tail isn't the kind of place where one person can do it all. You need to try and rely on others more often. It's admirable for you to stand up for us, but give someone else the chance to prove themselves every once in a while." Erza advised, giving me a harder look than usual.

'Wow… talk about a reality check.' I thought to myself. Ever since my parents had died, I had isolated myself, promising to find the strength to protect the people I cared about. Now, however, I had joined the strongest guild in the country; people who didn't need my protection, whether from inside threats or outside threats. The thought of it made me feel humiliatingly overbearing.

"Sorry… I've never been around people who haven't needed my help. I guess I've just stuck with jobs where people really need me…" I ventured, once again quite sheepishly. Erza chuckled a bit, even sounding a little sympathetic this time.

"I feel the same, Nikk. Like I'm obligated to do my best and focus on doing what others can't." She described. I gaped a bit.

"Are you kidding? That's pretty much what I do every day! Heck, it's all I've ever known in my career as a Celestial Guardian: helping those who need it most!" I exclaimed, a little surprised that my legendary pen-pal, Titania Erza, could relate to the habit of being a servant in her career as a wizard. All these years, I had always thought that was _my_ thing. I had considered Erza more of the kind of person to spend all her time kicking ass and taking names against people in her league. Erza smiled a bit more, now obviously amused with my reaction.

"Nikk, I'm surprised you don't know this. _Everyone_ in Fairy Tail does that. In fact, it's so commonplace most of us don't bother to take the initiative like you do. If what I've heard from my guild-mates' conversations are correct, they admire you for that reason more than anything else. You care more about your job as a wizard than anyone we've seen in a long time. Years, according to Wakaba…" Erza explained, shocking me even more with the amount of insight she was showing.

"You… you've talked to them about this?" I stammered, still reeling from shock. My redheaded friend stifled a laugh.

"No. But I spend a lot of my time around the guild-hall listening to them. That's how I keep up with everything that goes on." Erza corrected. I took another few seconds to recover from my surprise before chuckling nervously.

"Wow… I guess I _do_ have a lot to learn. Well Erza, I'll keep doing my best, but from now on I promise to back off whenever it's reasonable to believe my guild-mates can handle something themselves." I assured her. At the same time, I prayed to Iesu for the wisdom to accomplish that while also carrying out my duty as a wizard, a Celestial Guardian, and a devoted friend to all my guild-mates. Erza sighed good-naturedly, calming down from her amusement.

"That's good to hear, Nikk. You can clearly learn from working with people and jobs that rival your level of strength."

* * *

Gray hadn't come back by that evening, so Erza promptly set out to bring them all back. By that time, my house had been fully refurnished, excluding the rooms I planned on adding. Resolving to get back to work the next morning, I went home after she left. After making and eating dinner (spaghetti), I started to spend the last few hours of my evening doing some more research, but that quickly got boring. I didn't have any of the pressing concerns that I usually looked to for a research topic. So instead, I spent the rest of that time making up ridiculous haikus. To give an idea of what I mean by "ridiculous", here is one of the ones I came up with:

Haikus are easy

But sometimes they don't make sense

Refrigerator

The next day, I went to my guild to find out that Erza hadn't returned yet. Rather than fret over her well-being, I followed through with my resolve and trusted that my friend would be okay. Instead, I took a job of my own. I had bought my new house at full price, so I didn't really need the money for any immediate expenses. Still, I knew better than to spend an entire day doing nothing. I had enough of a proclivity towards laziness that one day of voluntary idleness completely destroyed my habitual work ethic. So, I picked the highest paying job from the first floor request board and left immediately, not even looking at my guild-mates. At times like this, when I didn't have anything or anyone to follow along with, I wound up doing my work a bit mechanically. Part of me wondered if that had led to me neglecting the missionary opportunities my work provided, but I had chosen my habits. Going back from them just wasn't that simple for someone like me.

Then again, this job in particular was admittedly boring. It had to be the most hackneyed reason for a job request in the history of wizarding. A clever group of magic-using thieves had found an innovative way to do their stealing while evading capture. My job was to figure out their shtick and bring them to justice. The brilliant strategy they devised: a special type of Earth magic that allowed them to melt into walls and come out through a different wall in the same building. I found it very annoying when I encountered the bandits, but my telekinetic radar allowed me to follow them effectively enough. As soon as I caught up with the criminals outside of a building (which took longer than anything else), capturing them was as easy as blowing apart the wall they hid in and conjuring chains to bind them. Jobs like that always bored me, but I couldn't complain about the easy money. I did make sure to pay for the damage I did to the wall, though...

* * *

Things didn't really get interesting until the next morning. I assumed that Erza would return with everyone by then. However, I awoke to discover I had slept in. Not wanting to miss out on anything, I hurriedly got out of bed, showered, dressed, made a cream-cheese bagel for breakfast and hustled out the door. Once I reached the door to the guild-hall, I heard the sounds of pandemonium, namely in the form of _lots_ of people arguing. That was not a good sign.

Sure enough, when I opened the door, nothing I saw made any sense. Erza looked disturbingly excited; her composure, for whatever reason, was completely gone. Meanwhile, Natsu's Exceed friend Happy, who I hadn't gotten acquainted with yet, looked absolutely shattered, like his life had just been ruined. I didn't know anything about him yet, but I couldn't see a cat like Happy feeling distraught over anything… unless something had happened to his friend Natsu.

But no, Natsu was just fine. However, he wasn't yelling about the other weirdness I saw, which struck me as equally surreal. Someone as loud and aggressive as Natsu would be screaming their head off about this by now.

"What that Hell…?" I murmured, looking around at everyone else. Elfman lay passed out on the floor, and Cana was standing next to him, looking more confused than anything. But strangest of all: Master Makarov looked uncharacteristically panicked, waving his arms around, while Mirajane sat on the bar, her legs crossed and the old man's staff held over her shoulder.

"This is awesome! Everyone is someone else now!" Erza chirped with her strangely excited voice in a startlingly high register.

"Have you gone completely nuts?! This is **horrible**!" Loke screamed, his rage striking me as yet another strange thing about the guild's present state. At that point, I gave into my impulsiveness and Channeled power into my voice.

" _ **What the hell is going on**_!?" I bellowed, my magically enhanced voice reaching the approximate volume of a megaphone. Everyone steadily quieted down and looked in my direction. They all looked at me with varying degrees of distress and annoyance, like something with a huge potential for danger had just put a sizeable crimp in their day. To my surprise, Happy of all people addressed me first.

"Nikk! Am I glad to see you! We are in a horrible predicament!" Happy cried in a low register and cordial inflection that I had been expecting from Erza.

'Wait a minute…' I thought. 'Happy is speaking like Erza, and Erza has completely lost her composure. Mirajane is holding Makarov's staff…' A hunch formed in my mind, one which made more sense the longer I thought about it. Elfman had passed out, and if I was right, it had come from him trying to drink as much as Cana… Everywhere I looked, I saw people acting like someone completely different. And if it even affected Erza, then it couldn't possibly be a coincidence.

'No way…' I thought in disbelief. It seemed like a long-shot, but I approached Happy and knelt down to speak with him directly.

"…Erza?" I murmured, focusing too much on the ongoing weirdness of my situation to control the bewilderment I spoke with. Happy gasped and put his paws to his mouth, but then he slowly nodded his head. _Her_ head.

"Yes Nikk. It's me," Erza confirmed, with a familiar look of trust and respect in her unfamiliar feline eyes. Her voice had a slight tremor to it, but the cat-bodied swordswoman sounded overjoyed at my recognition. "I hate to put you under any undue pressure, but you may very well be our last hope." I actually heard a note of desperation in her voice that time, which _really_ freaked me out.

"What the _Hell_ happened here?" I gaped, getting to my feet and looking at my guild-mates. From there, everyone took turns answering my question, clarifying who they really were along the way. Upon returning from Galuna Island (with no reward but Lucy's new gate key), Natsu had picked out a job request offering 500,000 jewel to interpret the text written on the flier. However, upon reading the phonetic transcription the flier included, the pinkette unwittingly activated a body-swap spell known as Changeling. As a result, Natsu swapped bodies with Loke, Lucy swapped with Gray and, worst of all, Happy swapped with Erza. According to their only source on Changeling (i.e. Makarov), the spell became permanent after 30 minutes. In the mad scramble to undo the spell in the time they had left, Gray had almost taken off his shirt in Lucy's body several times, Erza had bemoaned her acquired status as a liability (much to Happy's indignation) and Levy had only succeeded in returning Gray and Lucy to their proper bodies. In the process, however, the blue-haired bookworm swapped _everyone else_ in the guild but herself.

" _Jeez_ …" I mused. "Erza and I recently got through talking about me not playing the hero all the time. I turn my back for one day and this happens? I'd call this seriously ironic if it wasn't so urgent." Loke… er, Natsu looked at me hopefully.

"Does that mean you can help us, Nikk?" he prodded. Erza looked up at me with her big cat eyes, her expression echoing his question. In fact, it felt like everyone had their eyes on me at the mention of a possible solution. I shifted a bit uncomfortably, not comfortable with being the center of attention unless I had a point to make. But I swallowed my shyness and raised my voice.

"Well… first of all, let me see the Changeling flier." I requested. Levy brought it up to me right away. I looked at the flier idly, debating what I should do with such a chaos-inducing magic item. Finally, I folded it up and stuck it in one of my jacket pockets.

"I'll be hanging onto this…" I muttered.

"Wait… don't you need it to lift the spell?" Levy asked a bit urgently. I shook my head.

"No. If you couldn't undo the spell with it, I sure couldn't. There's not that much more to know about this magic." I replied simply. Everyone looked mortified, and Natsu's immediate response explained why.

"Does that mean we're stuck like this forever?!" he yelled, sounding about as urgent as someone as easy-going as Natsu could sound. I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"No. I'm not gonna let things end like this. The color red will vanish forever before I leave my family in the lurch," I replied. "However, if an unnatural spell like this can't be undone by normal means, it only has one solution."

"And what is that, Nikku?" Makarov asked, his deep, gravely inflection sounding ridiculous when spoken with Mirajane's voice.

"Easy. Only God can help you guys now." I answered. Surprisingly enough, my guild-mates reacted with incredulity.

"Wait seriously?" Natsu shot back.

"You honestly believe that stuff?" Wakaba almost chuckled, but I couldn't tell who was really speaking from inside his body.

"Yeah Nikk… Earth-Land has some pretty incredible things, but the idea of Zenosha has no scientific basis, either in the natural sciences or the magical sciences." Levy insisted, sounding a little dogmatic about the subject. Erza flew up beside my head with Happy's **Aera** wings.

"The concept of the Almighty is a bit controversial in our guild, Nikk. I remain ambivalent about the matter for that very reason." Erza whispered.

"Good to know." I replied, feeling bad about sparking any more argument among my peers. Still, I got down on my knees, closed my eyes and started praying, feeling one of my grayish-navy magic circles appearing beneath me.

O Lord God… There is a lesson here for all of us. For me, it is the importance of yielding. For Natsu, it would be to think before acting. For Gray, I suppose his lesson would be one in self-control. Happy and Erza could even learn something more about empathy. But I now know that Fairy Tail has no problem with learning, Lord. Considering the mistakes they've made throughout their history as a guild, I can't imagine how they would survive without learning from them. I promised to protect the ones I cared about with the power You gave me, but You showed me that Fairy Tail doesn't need my protection. Instead, I shall give them what they _really_ need: Your grace. The same grace with which You have guided and preserved me throughout my life. So, I pray that You would pour out Your grace on us, O Lord our Rock and our Redeemer, so that me and my guild-mates may continue to learn, both about our lives and about You: our Father and Creator. Amen.

When I finished, I opened my eyes. The magic circle had turned gold, which meant that my prayer had been answered. With that assurance, I smiled and spoke the Divine Technique I needed.

" **Dizorubu** …" I whispered, echoing the will of Zenosha for this chaotic magic to be gone. The second my voice died, the circle grew in diameter and brightness, suffusing the entire guild in warm, golden light. After shining for 15 seconds or so, the light faded. Everyone immediately reacted with varying degrees of relief and amazement.

"Hey, I'm me again!" Natsu cackled with glee. The next thing I perceived was Erza crushing me in a second-long hug.

"Thank you, Nikk. Our guild is indebted to you." Erza acknowledged, flashing another of her warm, brief smiles once she pulled away. I sighed.

"Don't look at me, Erza. Zenosha did all the work. What makes you think I could undo a spell like this so easily? Do I seem fatigued?" I asked, looking around at everyone else. The ones who had heard me seemed floored by what I had just implied, especially when they saw my lack of exhaustion. When none of them asked me about it, I shrugged and turned back to Erza.

"So… weren't you going to introduce me to your team?" I quipped, to which she nodded.

"Yes indeed. It's high time you got acquainted with your teammates-to-be." The redhead agreed.

S cinvxh vk iyklefj zmvdaxk migsnlp gal wvcswxl gp Gcsvif.

* * *

So anyways... I hope this chapter made Nikk seem less two-dimensional. As for the plot's distinction from Fairy Tail, Nikk will be influencing said differences more than anything for now. However, the elements from the crossover with Gravity Falls will be adding to that for this part of the story. Things won't start to get too interesting until part four. After that, I promise that the story will engage warp speed in terms of excitement. Until then, I'll continue to recount Fairy Tail's story through Nikk's eyes and do my best to fill the story with humor, drama, and enough originality to make up the difference. But I have a hunch the next few chapters will help, considering what I'll be introducing. Review if you have any suggestions or requests!

-J.R. Yeriel


	10. Chapter 8 - Skeletons in the Closet

Chapter 8 – Skeletons in the Closet

My next thirty-six hours at Fairy Tail served as a trial run for me being a member of Team Natsu. After the Changeling incident, I spent the rest of the day getting to know my teammates. At first, Lucy and Natsu wanted to take a job, but Erza, Gray and I vetoed the idea in light of the stressful situation that had just ensued. Instead, we talked for a while and got caught up in several of the guild's brawls before deciding to head home shortly before sundown.

That afternoon proved Erza's point about me having a lot to learn. I stayed quiet about half of the time, but before we left for the night I managed to get into a serious argument with everyone at least once; even Erza! I felt bad about that afterward, and asked Erza if we could talk the next morning before taking a job. She agreed, and I left the guild hall feeling slightly more accomplished. Times like that reminded me of my view of optimism: 'Something is better than nothing.'

The day after that, however, only got worse. I started out by coming to the guild hall on time, not realizing that Erza and I needed to meet earlier if we planned on having a serious discussion. So Erza angrily confronted me about that, to which I apologized profusely and promised to meet her tomorrow at a better time… but more about that later. We then picked out a job request, which involved tracking down a guild of thieves who specialized in evading wizards like us. Despite the fact that our mission came through as a success, I myself turned out to be a failure in terms of how well I contributed. Looking at our actions in and of themselves, Erza did most of the thinking, and only called on me once or twice to use my magic like a Swiss army knife.

However, I felt far more embarrassed by my poor performance as a teammate. Despite the fact that Erza made most of the judgment calls, I frequently tried to lend a hand with giving orders. But all I wound up doing was getting in more arguments with people and stirring up doubt about things that really didn't need my attention. At one point, I tried arguing with Erza about how we should go about catching the thieves, and she very mercilessly proved me wrong and told me outright to shut up for the rest of the mission. By then, I felt too humiliated to protest, and it dawned on me soon afterward that I had screwed up my first mission as a member of Fairy Tail. _Badly_.

As I went home that night, I felt thoroughly disgusted with myself. Not only had I acted like an overconfident smart-ass towards most of my teammates, but I'd also planned on talking to Erza about the time she spent in the Tower of Heaven as I child. And by then, my bad habit of impulsiveness had already gotten me into unnecessary trouble with Laxus. But nothing disgusted me more than knowing I had remained completely oblivious to my behavior until Erza spoke up.

Unfortunately, I'd had personal revelations like this _a lot_ ever since my parents died. Too many to count, and always about something different: lust, conceit, prejudice, et cetera. Now I could add arrogance to my repertoire of sins. This kind of thing had happened so often by now that I felt torn between urgency at how frequently it had occurred and apathy over how commonplace it had grown. But once I got home, the cycle repeated itself yet again with another familiar change in attitude. In the space of a few minutes, my sadness and remorse were driven away by the furious resolve to change. I felt angry at the bad habits which had contributed to my mistakes, and the part of me grounded by my faith in Iesu burned with the desire for vindication through repentance.

In short, the intelligent, moral part of my soul figured out what was going on, put its foot down, and said something to this effect: 'Oh _hell no_. Things are going to change _right now_!' I started with my first method of repentance: self-mortification. Although subjecting my body to pain didn't immediately make the bad habits or mindsets go away, it supercharged my sense of initiative towards change. By age sixteen, I had settled upon a method that worked to my satisfaction: conjuring a bed of hot coals and smoldering ashes (permanently so I could use it later), taking off all of my clothes, lying in the coal  & ashes face-up for ten seconds and finally washing the ashes off in a hot shower. The entire process left me feeling like I had swum the backstroke through a pool of lava, but the injuries lasted only as long as the pain: about a week, with both improving over time. The only permanent effects of my negative reinforcement were a few mottled scars on my legs and back from the burns they had sustained.

After that, I treated my burns so that pain was my biggest concern. The first time I had punished myself in such a way, my lack of experience with this stage of the process landed me in the hospital. _That_ particular incident ended with me acquiring my most unsightly scar (one encompassing the upper-right portion of my back) and a skin graft. But afterwards, I relentlessly researched the subject until I perfected a method of treating my self-inflicted wounds enough to prevent anything worse than searing pain and minor scarring. It also clarified exactly what I was doing to myself: second-degree burns.

Once I had finished treating said burns, I thought long, hard and honestly about my actions, praying about it and reading my Bible until I thoroughly understood what I had done. Finally, I carefully decided what I would do about it. My verdict in that regard was to start by staying up late doing whatever the heck I wanted, dealing with the consequences of sleep deprivation the next day and apologizing to Erza when we had our discussion that morning. The punishment was made sufficient by the response Erza had given when I asked her how early I should arrive at the guild hall for us to talk. Her answer: "About 5:30 should do. And could you bring breakfast as well?" I intended to stay up late and still set my alarm clock early enough to fulfill that obligation. Once I had accomplished all that, I would establish disciplined habits meant to dissuade me from repeating this behavior in the future.

Normally, I wouldn't go to such extremes to nip my malicious proclivities in the bud so early on. But the last time I ignored the escalation of a sinful attitude in my life, my resulting actions wound up getting someone killed during a particularly dangerous job. There was _**no way**_ I would take that kind of risk with Fairy Tail. In my eyes, that guild was the only family I had left. Even if they could hold their own against most threats, I would at least protect them from my own worst enemy: myself.

* * *

So, after a night of freely indulging my vices and sleeping for a little over four hours, I rolled out of bed, got ready for the day and made a dozen breakfast burritos for Erza and myself. I then put them in a basket, grabbed my chess set on an insightful hunch, and headed out the door towards the guild hall at 5:20 in the morning. I must've been a strange sight to the handful of people who saw me: a brunette man dressed in black with the Fairy Tail guild mark on his face, carrying a folded wooden chess-board (the pieces fit inside) and a basket of burritos. But I took the unease I felt in the same humble stride as the pain in my back and the drowsiness addling my mind.

'You either suffer through this now or suffer the consequences of your actions later. Besides, God's strength is made perfect in your weakness.' I sternly reminded myself. Despite the metaphorical cross I had chosen to bear, I couldn't help but appreciate the peaceful atmosphere around me. The weather was cool, clear and dark, with the stars still glimmering beautifully in the early morning sky. A gentle breeze caressed my face and made its way down the collar of my gi, assuaging the stinging, burning pain that assailed my back. I smiled, taking it as an act of mercy and reassurance from Zenosha.

'Thank You, Lord. Please help me maintain my resolve to continue.' I prayed silently, walking onward with a smile on my face despite my weariness. Many people would protest the sort of pain and sadness I frequently endured, but it honestly helped me appreciate the things many would take for granted: fair weather, a stable livelihood, friends and family, et cetera. It gave me a lot to feel thankful for, and an attitude of gratitude helped me stay positive more than anything else in my life. It gave me the one thing I felt more grateful for than anything else: a balanced, albeit imperfect, understanding of idealism and cynicism.

Just as I had finished admiring the silence of the early morning paired with the lack of glare from sunlight, I found myself approaching my guild hall. Moreover, I was greeted with another pleasing sight: Erza. The redhead had reclined against the apparently-locked doors to the guild hall (which otherwise would have swung open from her weight), and as I got closer I noticed she had dozed off. Once again, I couldn't ignore the fact that she looked _ridiculously_ beautiful, somehow even more so when she was asleep.

I was about to wake her before my insight led me to hesitate. I'd had a handful of strange experiences tied to waking people up. Three or four of those experiences involved the missions I had accepted from the Rune Knights, who had incidentally hired me for the large majority of my more dangerous jobs. The connection I made to Erza was the thing I had learned during my last mission with Fiore's military: "The most experienced warriors take an interruption of sleep as a potential threat." Not wanting to wind up pinned against the pavement or worse, I Channeled my magic into my mind, focusing on an increase in the frame speed of my brain and in my motor reflexes. Hopefully, that would be enough to withstand a potential assault from a half-awakened Erza.

Setting down my basket and chess-set, I slowly approached the redhead and gently shook her shoulder.

"Erza, wake up. I'm here." I whispered. In a window of time that probably lasted about half a second, Erza threw a strong left hook at my face before she even opened her eyes. Thanks to my foresight, however, I perceived it as taking roughly three seconds. In that time, I quickly moved my hand into the path of her fist _just_ in time to catch it. But, I didn't have enough time to completely stop Erza's attack. So, instead of receiving a direct punch to the face, I wound up having Erza punch the knuckles of my right hand into my right eye… quite painfully, too.

" _Ow_!" I hissed, trying to withhold my voice enough to avoid waking up the neighbors. With my unobstructed left eye, I saw Erza open hers and see what had happened.

"Sorry Nikk," she muttered, retracting her fist and briefly examining my eye. "Dammit, it appears that will leave a mark for a few days." I smiled through my pain then sighed.

"It's alright Erza. Most of the black eyes I remember getting hurt a lot worse than this one," I brushed off her concern, picking up my chess-board and basket. "So, where should we do this?" The redhead pointed to another building nearby.

"Over there, on the roof of my dormitory building. We'll have a sufficient amount of silence and privacy there." She decided, clearly having decided the matter well in advance... or she had eliminated enough alternatives to make a firm decision about that choice. Either way, I just shrugged at her conviction.

"Works for me…"

* * *

Five minutes later, Erza and I were eating the breakfast burritos I had brought, deciding that we should do so before getting to our conversation.

"Hmm… I've tasted better cooking than this, but only from a few people. These are pretty good." Erza conceded in a fittingly neutral voice for the mundane compliment she had paid me.

"Meh, cooking is just something I learned as a matter of necessity. I never really worked to improve because I'm not a picky eater." I responded in an equally indifferent way. Once we had finished, Erza got right down to business.

"Okay Nikk. What was so important that you wanted to set aside time to speak to me about it alone?" she deadpanned, now betraying a hint of impatience. I sighed.

"First and foremost Erza… I want to apologize for my behavior over the past few days. I haven't exactly treated my guild-mates with the respect I owe them so far." I admitted, bowing my head in shame. I knew Erza was the kind of person who didn't easily take emotions seriously. I had to make this count if I wanted to convince her that my remorse meant something.

"Well? How exactly have you done so?" The swordswoman prodded, the impatient sharpness in her voice adding the expectation for me to explain myself. I looked up at her and chuckled bitterly.

"Great balls of fire, where do I begin…? The way I criticized the recklessness of my guild-mates after you were arrested, and then bad-mouthed Natsu right after you guys got back… The way I punched him in the face for getting you arrested in the first place... Both times I stood up to Laxus when it _clearly_ wasn't my place to do so… The fights I picked with you and the rest of our teammates the day of the Changeling incident… Pretty much _every time_ I tried to make a judgment call during our first mission together… Seventy-five percent of the things I've done so far as a member of Fairy Tail have been done out of an entitled sense of conceit. Frankly, I feel disgusted with myself." I mourned, my words bringing the remorse I'd felt last night to the forefront of my awareness. Erza's gaze softened noticeably, but she still looked quite stern.

"Humph. I know penitence when I see it Nikku, so I am will willing to forgive you for this. But I must say that I expected better from you." The redhead reprimanded me, though I could hear the same hint of softness in her voice as I had seen in her eyes. She was scolding me, but she obviously did so because she cared. I shook my head.

"I know Erza… believe me, I know. Frankly, I expected more from myself too. But it's not easy being me…" I mused, thinking that this phase of our conversation was over. Instead, she corrected that idea by slapping me across the face. I clutched my cheek, looking at her in bewilderment.

"What…?" I managed, reeling from surprise. Erza Scarlet now glared at me with ire, as if I had just said something offensive.

"Nikku deRansu, I have never heard a more threadbare excuse in my life. Do you honestly think it's any easier for the rest of your guild-mates?" Erza demanded, now clearly angry with me. I felt slighted.

"That's not what I meant Erza. I mean that the ways in which I have fallen short are rooted in the struggles I've dealt with for years now. These things happened _because_ I struggle with them!" I protested, feeling offended by the accusatory tone my friend had acquired. She glared at me a bit incredulously.

"Nikku, everyone in Fairy Tail struggles with something. But have you seen any of them use those faults as an excuse, even among our newer members like Lucy?" She argued, still not dropping her stern tone of voice. I sighed.

"I'm not making excuses, Erza. I am explaining the reason behind the mistakes I've made. I don't want you to think I don't care about the consequences of my actions. Now that I understand them, I _do_ care. I want you to acknowledge the fact that I am hurt by the mistakes I have made, but I also want you to see them as shortcomings rather than willing actions of negligence or malice." I insisted, realizing too late that I had turned this into an argument. Erza gave me a look that I couldn't make sense of, and then replied after a count of four.

"Nikk, I know you have good intentions, but if you have the capacity to do better than you have these past few days, and didn't… it tells me that you failed to give your best effort." Erza finally told me, sounding more disappointed than frustrated now. I thought about what she said for a moment before answering.

"I see what you mean, Erza. It's just… the best effort I'm able to give at a given time isn't always consistent with my actual potential. There are a lot of things I deal with in my life which, depending on their severity, hold me back to different extents." I slowly admitted, trying to speak as honestly as possible without sounding entitled. Erza narrowed her eyes at me.

"Then tell me… what do you struggle with that holds you back in such a way? What kind of life do you live that does this to you?" Erza asked me, now teetering between incredulity and concern. I started to tear up.

"Okay… now I _really_ don't know where to begin." I whispered softly, and then I gave in and told her the truth like a person seized by an unhealthy fit of vomiting. Honestly, I had never been honest with anyone about how I really lived my life… not even myself. I had shrouded my decisions in idealism and fantasies, not taking the time to look at things with complete honesty very often. But now that my demeanor had fallen so low, all I could think about was the cynical reality of my actions.

To begin with, the Etherious transplant I'd had as a boy did more than strengthen my magic and my body. It exacerbated all of the viler urges attributed to humans: pride, greed, hedonism, and everything derived from them. I could still deal with them like most people, but the things I felt and did while doing so would sound blown out of proportion to most people. Once I had established that much, I delved beneath the surface of my life. Judging only by the things I said in public and the conclusions others drew from my actions, I was an implacable hero. In truth, however, I confessed to being something somewhere between a fraud and an extremist. The only accolade of mine that I could really take credit for was my intelligence. Everything else was either much less impressive than advertised or acquired by less than noble means.

My knack for wielding magic? All Celestial Guardians had that ability as an extension of the Arc of Creation, and because our magic energy came as a gift from God, rather than something we leeched from the world's Aeons. In my case, I succeeded among my own people only because of the Etherious surgery Zeref had performed upon me. Without it, I would likely have lived out my days in an institution for people with significant disabilities like paralysis or mental retardation.

My training in swordplay and martial arts? Education was thoroughly interwoven with the process of parenting in my deceased culture, and training in the arts of magic and combat came in lieu of athletic sports and physical education. The little extra skill I had acquired came after my family's death, and only as a result of me pushing myself harder than necessary in pursuit of success as a wizard. Even my perseverance to do that much stemmed from a selfish desire to atone for letting my family die, rather than an incentive to honor them.

My academic achievements? Many of the papers I had published owed their quality to the hours of research I had devoted to them, not any kind of specialized knowledge on my part. Insight notwithstanding, I hardly understood any of the fields I had covered on a truly academic level. In short, I wouldn't do any better than any other person of my intellect when placed in a college-level class about any of those subjects.

Finally, my moral character and devotion to my faith were both an absolute joke compared to how I portrayed them. They were little more than an act I kept up in public. I behaved like someone quite different when nobody was watching. I had a terrible affinity for lust in the form of literature, displayed an arrogant streak a mile wide whenever I thought I could afford to relax and struggled with some form of laziness every damned day. The story of my life described a never-ending struggle against sin in my life, one which manifested as a never-ending war between my heart and mind that ravaged its way from one area of my life to the next.

If I had to guess, I probably spent about an hour raving about the difficulties I faced in my life. I kept coming back to the same bottom line: I wasn't a hero. I was just a bad person with good intentions who God singled out to live out His Will: loving Him and others as surely as myself and using my blessings to bless those in need.

"I may be insightful and have good intentions thanks to my family and Zenosha, but that's about it. Deep down, I'm just a stubborn, pathetic, ill-adjusted idealist with just as many obligations as talents. I didn't ask for the life I've lived, and frankly I think it sucks. Not a day goes by that I don't wish I could live an easier life and not have to work as hard to do my best. Honestly, if I saw my true self through anyone else's eyes, I would expect me to try and fail at being a writer or a scientist. But instead, I've become a fraudulent excuse for a wizard." I concluded, now on the brink of tears. Once I had finished, Erza just started at me. She hadn't said a word throughout my emotional tirade. Finally, she spoke in a tone that almost seemed sympathetic.

"Nikk… why didn't you tell anyone about this before? Did you think you could fool the whole world by acting perfect?" She queried with what I could at least tell was genuine curiosity. I scoffed in disgust.

"I knew that I couldn't manage it forever, but I fooled myself into believing I could make it work somehow. I didn't want anyone to look down on me for my shortcomings or belittle my potential enough to not take me seriously. I had every intention of striving for the perfect standard I advocated, but no amount of human moxie can make up for the imperfection we bring on ourselves. I thought I could circumvent that reality, but I guess that just led me to start living a lie," I confessed, then sighed. "So… does that answer your question?" My redheaded friend immediately nodded.

"Yes. But… what _have_ you done about your depravity?" She asked. I smiled sadly.

"Honestly, Iesu has done most of the heavy lifting. He knows better than anyone else in existence how screwed up the human condition can be. Hell, He lived through it Himself once upon a time. Honestly, I just do my best and follow His lead. Even though I fall short shamefully often, He cares more about my effort and my will to continue than how often I achieve success. After all, Iesu is the One Who gave me all of the blessings I have received. Without Him, I'd be hopeless. That's the cornerstone of my people and our way of life: what we know as Michi. Humans were made to depend upon God. Without Him, we have no choice but to turn to something else. Even though we _can_ live by relying on other things, life becomes very bleak when all is said and done. Sure we can find happiness, success and even peace… but it all pales in comparison to the fullness of life God offers us… but I digress. My point is that Iesu has led me through my life in such a way, like a second conscience which only requires more effort to hear clearly. But… I haven't exactly done that very well either." I continued, and then took off my duster as an idea came to me.

"If you want a visible example of what I mean, pull up my gi and look at my back." I offered her simply. Erza hesitated at first, but then moved behind me and lifted my gi. Judging by the gasp I heard from her, my friend had _not_ expected what she saw.

"Are these… _burns_?" she murmured in complete horror. I glanced over my shoulder for a moment, but quickly looked away when I saw the look in Erza's eyes. Despite the fact that my most recent burns were protected by bandages, the redhead examined my back like it had a fatal infection.

"Yes. All of them were self-inflicted by the same method: lying on a bed of hot coal and ashes for ten seconds, and then washing off the latter in a hot shower. I always treat them enough to ensure they heal on their own, but only after a week's worth of pain and more of the scars you're seeing." I explained, ignoring the agony I felt when she gently ran her hand over the scar I'd acquired from my ill-fated first attempt.

"How many times have you done this to yourself?" She asked, her voice now having required a wholly concerned inflection.

"As of yesterday, eight…" I replied succinctly. Erza replaced my gi and moved back to face me.

"Nikk… I've seen scars acquired in battle, and even discipline achieved through self-harm, but this… I don't even know what to make of this. Are you a masochist on top of everything else?" She demanded in a suddenly harsh tone. I laughed.

"No. That's just my way of ensuring I never go down the path of a given vice again… _ever_. That pain has motivated me to resist seduction, idleness and other blatant temptations I've succumbed to in the past." I clarified to which Erza sighed.

"Nikk… I suppose I _have_ misjudged you. But the only thing that really sets your suffering apart from the rest of ours is this: you push yourself way too hard. You had something of an excuse as an independent wizard, but you don't have to always be the hero as a member of Fairy Tail. Please, try to rely more on your friends from now on, and stop treating every mistake so severely. I insist that my guild-mates always do their best, but I never expect them to push their limits beyond reason. Because in all honesty, that's exactly what you've done to yourself over the years." Erza decided, gripping one of my shoulders tightly enough to agitate the burns they had sustained. I sighed.

"I… I will try… Just don't be surprised if I have a steep learning curve." I assured her, smiling genuinely for the first time since we had started talking.

"Fine, but only if you promise to always do your best." Erza countered, which injected my resolve with steel. Proving to Erza that I was willing to do better constituted my entire reason for bringing up this issue in the first place. So, I assumed the same posture I had for my promise to Makarov: right arm crossed over my chest, left hand held out palm-up.

"Erza. As surely as you saved my life during our first recent encounter, I will do everything in my power to be more… cooperative with our guild-mates. You have my word." I swore, my words summarizing the resolve I had acquired last night in a pleasingly concise way. Erza sighed in relief.

"Thank you, Nikk. Normally, I would have found your dedication awe-inspiring, but I draw the line at watching my friends hurt themselves needlessly." Erza thanked me, flashing another of her warm, gentle smiles. I nodded, returning her smile.

"No problem."

* * *

After my long bout of honesty, Erza said that she would answer my original question no matter what it happened to be, for the sake of obligation. Riding my resolve, I ignored the temptation to abuse that privilege and instead posed the question I meant to ask: what exactly happened in the Tower of Heaven? Erza seemed a bit miffed by that being my request, but she agreed. Frankly, it broke my heart to hear some of the things she told me. The destruction of her home… the cruelty she endured working on the Tower… the friends she had made… I found it all to be equal parts sad and touching. Part of me wished I could have been there to meet Erza's friends, but I knew that same part of me just wished I could've saved them. And Jellal's betrayal filled me with the same kind of anger which I had felt towards Laxus. I had to wonder if his sudden change had come from a genuine change of heart, or some form of unnatural magic. Either way, the actions Erza described him to have taken filled me with as much contempt as I held towards Laxus' attitude of hubris.

Finally, Erza and I finished our discussion roughly half an hour after sunrise, which placed the time somewhere around seven 'o clock. Pouncing on the opportunity I had prepared for, I pulled out my chess set and insisted on teaching Erza to play. The redhead reacted with more skepticism than I anticipated, but my initial hunch was right on the money: she immediately took an interest in the game once she realized its connection to warfare. As soon as she caught onto the basics, we played.

Chess always struck me as the surest measure of reliable intelligence in the eyes of society. The rules of play, the equal standings of the players, and the nature of the game's goal and game play… I saw it all as an allegory for problem solving. I never played in any official tournaments, but the only players who had ever beaten me were professionals. That much had kept me from ever seriously doubting my intelligence. Even so, Erza's talent for playing chess took me off-guard, though in hindsight I supposed her tactically-apt mind felt right at home with such a game. We wound up playing for somewhere between an hour-and-a-half to an hour and forty-five minutes. Erza played a Queen's Gambit opening, which allowed her to easily counterattack at the center, develop her pieces on her queen's side of the board and ultimately gain an edge towards the end of the game. The only downside was that her opening didn't put much direct pressure on the center of the board, meaning that my pieces didn't face many threats of capture at first.

Early on in the game, the two of us exchanged lots of threats and pins (the latter meaning that if we moved the pinned piece, it would leave a more important piece open to being captured on our opponent's next move), but not many actual captures. I made a _tiny_ mistake about one-third of the way through the game, moving my queen a bit to match one of Erza's assaults when I was slightly better off advancing my rightmost pawn. Although the game intensified between what I guessed to be the one-third and two-fifth points, Erza and I remained dead even until two or three moves after its midway point (when I captured one of Erza's pawns with a knight, putting her in check). Even then, the tide didn't begin to really turn for another ten moves or so. At that point (maybe a little less than two-thirds of the way through the game, but I honestly had no idea), I started to close in, moving my queen and rook to Erza's side of the board with the intent to checkmate her king and thereby win. Finally, when the game was in the ball-park of 2/3 through its total duration, it took a decisive turn.

After I released Erza's king from its previously-immobilized position, she moved her king to a space that left it open to check by my queen, rather than furthering its defensive position. That in turn led to me attacking Erza's remaining rook with my knight, followed by her putting me in check with said rook. I panicked a bit, moving my king so that counterattacking the offending rook would take an extra turn, which gave Erza a superb opportunity to work towards putting me in checkmate. But instead, my friend's next move cost her the game. Rather than moving her king farther out of danger and leaving her rook where it was in preparation for a possible checkmate, Erza retreated her rook to the opposite side of the board, attacking my own remaining rook. Four moves later (two for me, two for Erza), I had captured Erza's last rook at the cost of my knight, giving me a large advantage in material. Soon afterward, Erza sealed her defeat with an untimely exchange of queens. Our game still lasted for quite a while afterward (about ¼ of it remained), but Erza had lost an advantage she never really recovered. Finally, somewhere between 8:30 and 8:45, I put Erza in checkmate after capturing nearly all of her pieces.

"Very well done, Erza. I've never seen someone play their first game of chess so well." I admitted as we put the pieces away.

"Honestly, it didn't feel very different from strategizing in the heat of battle. Though if you typically fight as well as you played today, I would _not_ enjoy tangling with you as an enemy." Erza returned my compliment. I laughed easily.

"Thank you, Erza. You know, I came here to try and help you sort through your issues, but you wound up helping me sort through mine instead. That… that means a lot to me." I went on, giving her another look of sincerity, only this time with gratitude rather than remorse. Erza chuckled and pat me on the back a moment later, once we had completely put away my chess set.

"It's my pleasure, Nikk. I've always had a soft spot for people like you, who go out of their way to be considerate. You may not do so perfectly or consistently, but I see enough to know that you're acting most like yourself whenever you do. Like I said, that's one of the things that I admired most about Jellal. People like you and Jellal are a valuable asset to the world. You excel at leading by example, doing the hard things and otherwise bringing out the best in those around you. I could count everything that I have greater respect for on one hand." She confided in a voice that mirrored the sincerity I had just spoken with. That idea gave me another idea, one which I voiced after putting my duster jacket back on and tucking my chess set into my now-empty burrito basket.

"Then why don't we do our job together, as nakama. Like Natsu and Happy, minus the whole living-together thing." I suggested, to which Erza gave a start upon hearing. But she looked back at me and smiled. It was smaller and not as warm as usual, but it conveyed the same sentiment as a wink or a thumbs-up gesture.

"That sounds excellent… as long as we agree to divide our strength whenever necessary." Erza clarified, her face giving way to its trademark neutral stoicism. I smirked.

"Remember my promise, Erza? That goes without saying." I quipped, which we both shared a small laugh over. By then, the time had come to meet our teammates at the guild hall; so we both jumped off the roof, landed cleanly and walked that way, side-by-side.

Vzzchsmeuz, xvtmlyntwg. Egbvhidal dbfqngq nxvvcmo. Uvvyrgkif omnqralitcmo.

* * *

And this could be considered the end of the character establishment arc, for lack of a better term. If anyone else still thinks that Nikk is a Gary Stu after this, you will not be taken seriously without evidence. Moreover, the next two chapters will very concisely establish the role of the Gravity Falls universe within this FanFiction. Finally, the boring phase of this story has pretty much ended. Because right after the GF-related arc will be the Phantom Lord arc, and that encompasses the complete itinerary for this first part of this FanFiction's story. But if there is still anything I can do better, please hesitate to ask. Otherwise, I'll see you all next chapter (hopefully). Enjoy!


	11. Chapter 9 - Circumstantia Mysticus

Chapter 9 – Circumstantia Mysticus

"So, you've basically spent the past eight years of your spare time doing nothin' but work?" Gray clarified, to which I simply nodded sheepishly.

"Yep. That pretty much sums it up. I've been living and breathing my work like a full-time soldier in the military." I agreed. Upon arriving at the guild hall, Erza and I had met up with our teammates and promptly took turns summarizing my back-story. Erza had suggested it on our way over, as a way of helping me open up to my teammates. I liked the idea of having lots of friends who knew where I came from in life, so I agreed without her needing to convince me. Natsu groaned.

"Even though that sounds awesome considerin' all the cool jobs I heard you've taken, that also sounds _**so**_ _boring_!" The pinkette complained, speaking the last two words in a low, mournful drawl, like he had been told he had to start working like that.

"Yeah, Nikk! Didn't you ever get tired of working all the time?" Happy added, flying high enough to speak with me at eye-level.

"Guys, I didn't spend all that time working as a wizard, per say. I just spent all my spare time doing things that other people wouldn't consider leisurely. My idea of fun would be researching whatever subject tickles my fancy." I tried clarifying, but the reaction I got suggested that they didn't buy it.

"Like I said: boring." Natsu repeated, though with much more vigor than before.

"Yeah man. Any way you slice it, you literally have _no clue_ how to unwind." Gray reiterated. I almost laughed.

"Excuse me? I'll have you know that whenever I need to relax, I meditate. And it works quite well, thank you very much." I countered, though my retort didn't come across as hostile for once. It sounded more like the teasing tone of voice my teammates had been using with me. Natsu and Gray just laughed.

"Whatever man. Sooner or later, we're gonna teach you how to really have fun." Natsu promised, flashing one of his huge, trademark grins. I finally laughed as well, never ceasing to get a kick out of the pinkette's huge smiles.

"I look forward to it." I chuckled. Lucy, who had been strangely quiet up until now, finally spoke up. And she did so quite loudly.

"Hold on! Am I the only one who heard that tidbit about Nikk _burning himself_?!" The blonde snapped with an undertone of "Oh come on!" in her voice.

"Yes, Lucy. We all heard that quite clearly. But don't you think we're _all_ a little uncomfortable with the subject?" Erza quipped.

"Yeah, but… we can't just overlook something this extreme! Doesn't that seem suicidal to anyone else?" The blonde insisted with just as much concern as alarm. I sighed.

"Lucy, that's the past. I've done all I can do to handle the demons in my life. Right now, I'm at the phase where I start displacing those bad habits with good ones. Erza helped me to realize that we're all friends here at Fairy Tail. Nevertheless, you can only worry about your friends so much before it becomes a burden. _Believe_ me; I know what that's like. Worrying too much about friends was my biggest motivation for trying so hard to play the hero these past few days." I hushed her, trying to remain frank so I wouldn't come across as a preachy hypocrite. The celestial wizard calmed down after that.

"Yeah… okay." She concluded. Natsu hopped out of his seat.

"Alright. If we're done talkin' about all that sad stuff, who wants to take a job?!" he proclaimed, clenching his fist and grinning excitedly. I slapped my hand against the table and pushed myself to my feet.

"Count me in. I'm gonna redeem myself from the crappy job I did yesterday." I seconded, sharing the Dragon Slayer's eagerness. Erza, who had never taken a seat in the first place, walked up to the table and nodded.

"That's something I don't want to miss. I'm in, too." The redhead concurred.

"Me three!" Lucy chirped, jumping to her feet as well.

"Aye!" Happy cheered.

"I'm definitely coming along. Seein' Nikk at his best sounds pretty cool. Plus I wanna make sure Natsu doesn't take a turn at screwing things up." Gray snarked. His rose-haired rival immediately shot him a look of ire.

"What's that supposed to mean, blizzard brain?" Natsu demanded, getting in Gray's face. The ice wizard promptly shoved his face against the Dragon Slayer's.

"It means I don't trust you as far as I can throw you, ya pyro!" Gray shot back. Then something strange happened. Gray, who had started the argument fully-clothed, somehow wound up with everything but his boxers thrown on the floor behind him. All I managed to see was a blur of pink; something moving _way_ too fast to see clearly. I looked back at Erza, doing my best to send a message through my facial expression: "Do you want to break them up, or can I handle it?" Erza waved her hand dismissively and looked back at me with a glance that replied with the same imperfect level of clarity: "Go ahead, if you think you can handle it…" Giving Erza a thumbs-up, I used the limited practice I had in using telekinesis to directly manipulate matter. To wit, I gathered as much air as I could above the arguing wizards' heads in a space the size of a tennis ball, then released it all at once with a sharp _"POW"_. The resulting noise reminded me of a medium-sized firecracker, though not quite as loud. Still, it must have been loud enough, because the sound startled Natsu and Gray enough for them to stop fighting.

"Guys, focus. Remember: job request?" I took a turn at snarking, to which they both acquiesced after shooting each other one last glare. Happy flew to Grey's left ear.

"Pst! Gray; your clothes!" Happy whispered overtly, to which Gray once again reacted with surprise.

"Darn it, not again!" he yelped, quickly putting his clothes back on. I scoffed to myself, but I found it more amusing than exasperating. Still, part of me wondered what had just happened to Gray's clothes… I turned back to Erza.

"Is this the norm for those two?" I asked, hoping she would label this as some of their worse behavior. Instead, she nodded.

"I'm afraid so." She sighed, one which I returned before turning towards the request board.

'Yep. This is gonna be fun…' I thought in mock sarcasm.

* * *

Finding a job request came a lot more easily than I thought it would. I imagined that at least three of us would find one we each liked, such that we needed to come to some kind of agreement. But it happened much more simply. After entrusting my chess board to Mirajane, I scrutinized the fliers posted and found a lot of them to either be trivially easy or overtly specific in their requirements. But one of them caught my eye:

Strange earthquakes and assorted anomalies persisting in Southern Crocus.

10,000 jewel for identifying the cause.

1,000,000 jewel for putting a stop to it.

As if that didn't command enough attention, the bottom-left corner of the flier bore the seal of Fiore's king, and the bottom right corner had a hand-written note stapled to it:

"Team must include at least one S-Class wizard.

–Master M."

"Uh, guys? What about this one?" I asked a little cautiously, setting the flier down on an empty table and beckoning to my teammates. They all looked it over and responded with mixed reactions.

"Dang… I'm havin' a hard time deciding whether this sounds awesome or boring…" Natsu mumbled then scratched his head like his scalp itched a little. Gray stayed quiet, studying the flier as though he planned on making a replica of it with his Ice-Maker magic.

"Earthquakes? Why would that be a job for wizards? And what does that have to do with 'assorted anomalies'?" Lucy wondered out loud, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. That bit of insight tipped me off to the realization that Lucy was more than just a busty blonde ditz. I hadn't consciously labeled her as one, but I had unconsciously filed her away in my mind with that stereotype. Her voice still annoyed me, but less so now that it wasn't spoken so loudly or shrilly.

"Well Lucy, think about this: why would they have posted the job request if it wasn't a problem for wizards?" I offered, casually playing Devil's Advocate to prove my point: this job request was something weird but serious. The celestial wizard seemed a little stunned by my bluntness, but it was Gray who interjected.

"Well, what if they're idiots?" he suggested in the same succinct deadpan he and Erza seemed fond of speaking in. I smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"Then why would it be marked with the king's royal seal? I seriously doubt His Majesty would give such credence to a job request posted by idiots. Even if that is the case, shouldn't we at least bring it to someone's attention?" I countered, now speaking with a tone of wry, playful sarcasm. True to form, Gray just shrugged.

"Yeah, good point. What do you think Erza?" he replied, glancing at our redheaded teammate. She looked up from the job flier, a hint of interest flickering through her warm brown eyes.

"I would agree with Nikk, but for a different reason. If this job request were any less serious than advertised, the wizard guilds in and around Crocus would have found out _long_ before the job reached Magnolia. Moreover, the fact that the request reached our guild _and_ received the king's seal of authority means that he authorized it being sent out so far. That much would imply every guild in Crocus has failed at this job. If His Majesty sent such an urgent request to us, then it is our duty to accept it." Erza explained, once again showcasing her own intelligence. I nodded, sending another silent message through my expression: "Nice catch, I missed that."

"Right. Same reason, different logic. Shall we be on our way then? Train tickets are on me!" I chirped, then quailed a bit at the attention I had drawn to myself. I never really doubted my capacity for being an extrovert over the years. However, my usually minimal insecurity doubled whenever I behaved in an outgoing way, so I avoided it. I had enough doubt in my mind already.

This time, however, I steeled myself with Erza's words: 'We're all friends here at Fairy Tail.'

* * *

One hour later, the six of us were riding the 9:15 train bound for Crocus. Natsu almost looked fearful once he realized the trip would last until 2:20 in the afternoon. Motion sickness like his would make such a trip positively hellish for the poor Dragon Slayer. I, however, offered the services of my limited command of telekinetics once again. While I found interacting with people's minds rather taxing, gaining their consent first made things much easier. And Natsu immediately agreed once he heard my plan: putting him to sleep for the entire train ride. Long story short, putting him to sleep telepathically came as easily as lacing up my boots telekinetically (discounting the practice I had at actually doing the latter). Once Natsu was fast asleep in Lucy's lap (a situation which the blonde captioned as "unnerving"), I excused myself to meditate for about half an hour. Once I made sure no one would see, I exited the train car and climbed up onto its roof, sitting cross-legged in its center to ensure I wouldn't fall off. Once I accomplished that, I closed my eyes and cleared my mind. Most people nowadays associated meditation with the doctrines of Anhkseram, namely seeing it as a means of accessing one's higher consciousness. I, on the other hand, used it as a way to quickly and efficiently relax, while also satisfying my introverted need for solitude.

Oddly enough, the roof of the train car provided a perfect setting for meditation. The rush of the wind soothed my nerves with its firm yet consonant whistling; a sound which drowned out other noises in a way I found pleasing. Moreover, the wind also carried a fresh, clear scent rather than the coal smoke I had expected. But after a moment of curious scrutiny, I noticed that our train car trailed far enough behind the engine that all its smoke rose high above my head. All in all, the pleasant sensations of the wind combined with the warm sunshine on my face felt like a weak dose of opium. I felt tempted to remove my duster and let the wind blow freely into my gi, hopefully assuaging my burns even further. But I decided against it, realizing the wind would be strong enough to disturb my wounds. Besides, my jacket would probably get blown away.

So I spent the next twenty minutes in relaxed meditation and quiet prayer. I used that time to adequately thank Iesu for the mercy He had shown within my life. Not only had He delivered me from the oppression of the Balam Alliance (unless they intended to launch a full-scale war against my guild), but He had also restored my withering character and surrounded me by a group of friends and coworkers that I could trust. Most of my possessions had even been preserved despite the attack on my apartment.

I felt most thankful, however, for the chance to see Erza again. I still couldn't believe how much she had changed in the space of eight years. She had gone from a gentle, innocent girl who specialized in making friends to a strong, _beautiful_ woman with the confidence and tactical mind of a five-star general. A little humorously, I realized that the two of us wound up very similarly to members of the military in terms of how we worked and behaved. Erza wielded the same tenacious, authoritative attitude I had seen in a Sergeant Major of the Rune Knights. As I thought about myself in that regard, I seemed like a more humble but equally hard-working Staff Sergeant. I jokingly came to the conclusion that in another life, Erza and I might've met in the military.

I reflected on the rest of my teammates as well. Natsu came across as a textbook example of free-spirited people: independent, easy-going and somewhat indifferent towards following rules. However, he also wielded a humorous penchant for wackiness and a deep-seated fondness for any benign variety of destruction, _especially_ if it included fire. The pinkette was a complete man-child, but I enjoyed his company whenever he avoided blatant acts of idiocy… like getting himself and Erza arrested.

Gray struck me as a very straightforward guy: dedicated, trustworthy, forthright and cool in every sense of the word. I'd heard mention of his past when Galuna Island was talked about two days ago, but never bothered to ask about it. Immediately realizing that I had blown a perfect opportunity for getting to know Gray, I deigned to ask him about that once I finished meditating.

Happy, however, was a _complete_ mystery. I knew from Erza's letters that Natsu and Lisanna had hatched the Exceed from an egg six years ago, but I still found it puzzling. Exceeds lived in Edolas, a world which my people concluded to exist on a separate plane of existence encompassing the same relative spatial area as Earth-land's atmosphere. How he wound up in Earth-land was part of the handful of things I knew about, but found genuinely stumping. Still, I recognized his friendship with Natsu as something incredibly special and endearing. I had a similar attitude towards the quiet, teasing enthusiasm Happy exuded. It seemed to be one of the things that went into holding this team together.

Finally, my thoughts turned to Lucy. Honestly, I knew less about Lucy than any of my other teammates. I knew she was an aspiring author, a celestial wizard and a fellow member of Fairy Tail. I also knew she had a curvy, well-endowed figure whose bust size rivaled Erza's, and a beautifully adorable complexion to go with it. But other than that, I knew nothing about Fairy Tail's second newest recruit. I didn't even know her last name.

Sadly, however, I assumed that someone as outgoing as Lucy would open up in her own time. Little did I suspect the truth behind that mystery, not to mention the trouble it would cause in the near future…

* * *

True to my word, I returned to my teammates in half an hour, joining their discussion and quickly turning it into an unspoken game of conversational hot potato. I soon learned enough about Gray's back-story, and offered my condolences for the demise of his surrogate mother Ur. If I hadn't promised to keep it a secret, I would have related his sadness to my experience with Éclair. But instead, I allowed the conversation to proceed to other subjects.

Despite her ear-damning voice, I began to draw a clearer picture of Lucy's character. All things considered, she struck me as the kind of girl who commanded attention in a positive way. Her charisma and charm seemed infinite, yet remained balanced by her creative witticism and subtly flirtatious teasing. With all that taken into account with her insight, cleverness and unfailing sense of humor, Lucy's aspiration to write came as no surprise to me. She already spoke with the words of a gifted narrator. Even beyond that, she was a born encourager.

Gray, of course, upheld his preference of being the "strong-silent" type through his participation in our conversation. On the few occasions Gray spoke up (outside of explaining his back-story), he would either mention something of practical relevance, make a blisteringly dry yet hilarious remark, or relate what had just been said to his own experiences.

Finally, Erza spoke with me like the friends we were. Her voice and gaze betrayed a look of trust and quiet respect when directed at me, yet she did _not_ treat me with any level of superiority or adulation. To the contrary, neither of us ever grew tired of pelting the other with teasing and sarcasm, oftentimes in ways that others (including our own teammates at first) would deem rude. I'd started by using that as a way of deflecting her sternness on the day of the Changeling incident, but she eventually started to reply in kind. Still, we regarded each other with warmth and courtesy despite our playful teasing, and we shared more smiles and laughter than either of us were otherwise used to (Erza later clarified this in her case).

Between the four of us, the train ride passed quickly and enjoyably.

* * *

After we arrived in Southern Crocus and successfully revived Natsu from his motion sickness coma, a man in a suit approached us on our train's platform. He had small, shallow-set green eyes; slight, angular facial features; sandy blonde hair held in a tight comb-over by either hairspray or mousse; and a nervously rigid disposition. I recognized him from one of my missions with the Rune Knights.

"Well if it isn't Jerry Blandin!" I greeted, nodding my head at the man. He nodded back.

"Hello Nikk. It's always good to see a familiar face. I notice you've joined Fairy Tail," Jerry stammered a bit, though he seemed relieved that he wasn't talking to a group of complete strangers. He then faced my teammates. "Hello everyone. I am Gerald James Blandin, but you may call me Jerry. I represent the branch of the Rune Knights known as M.A.I.L. – the Magical Anomaly Investigation League. As our name implies, we make it our business to gather intelligence on any and all unprecedented or otherwise poorly understood developments within the world of magic. But our overall mission, with the aid of the Time Paradox Avoidance Enforcement Squadron, is to preserve order throughout the more… fantastic side of the world. Whether that involves magic, science, or otherwise…" Jerry rattled off in his halting, nasally, mechanically-spoken voice. Erza cleared her throat when Jerry gave pause.

"I'm assuming you commissioned this job request?" Erza asked, holding out the flier for our job. Jerry nodded.

"Yes indeed. His Majesty sent that request out to every guild within one hundred miles of Crocus, as a royal decree. Hence his official seal…" the blonde man clarified. "If you all are ready, I shall see you to your suite and explain your mission." Jerry briskly strode off, forcing the rest of us to immediately start moving for the sake of keeping up.

"What's this guy's deal?" Gray asked me as we managed to keep pace with Jerry upon exiting the train station.

"Jerry may be the founder of MAIL, but his organization still works for the military, so his superiors run a very tight ship. He's either very busy or very nervous most of the time." I responded.

"And did he say something about time paradoxes?" Lucy squeaked. I nodded, smirking in amusement as I glanced at her.

"Yes. MAIL works with the T.P.A.E.S. – the Time Paradox Avoidance Enforcement Squadron. But Jerry's people just call them the Time Police. Funny story about that: the Time Police actually have _their_ headquarters on another planet in another dimension where society relies on super-advanced technology." I explained, earning strange looks from my teammates.

"How would they even work together then? For that matter, how did they even _make contact_?" Erza asked in disbelief, to which I chuckled.

"Apparently, it's a _long_ story that Jerry labeled as 'classified'. He answered most of my questions about MAIL after my one mission with them. It went over successfully enough for him to invite me for dinner at their headquarters. That's… another long story…" I explained, once again quite sheepishly.

"You realize that I can hear you, Nikku. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't have you arrested for disclosing secrets?" Jerry called back in an oddly casual voice. Then again, I hadn't disclosed any of MAIL's _real_ secrets, so I guess he might've been joking.

"…because you now have my word that this information is only for the ears of my guild-mates." I replied in his same casual tone.

"Hmm, very well… But tell your guild-master I wish to meet him one week from now at the same train station you arrived at. Anytime between 11 am and 1 pm will do." Jerry concluded, assuming his previously formal tone.

"You got it, Jerry." I chuckled. When I looked around at my guild-mates again, they seemed even more confused.

"This man has a very strange approach to matters of business." Erza mused. I couldn't help but laugh out loud at that.

"I actually made that same comment to him once… almost verbatim. He claims that it helps him cope with the amount of stress he deals with." I explained.

"That's… really weird." Gray decided after pausing mid-sentence. I chuckled again.

"Hey, it's better than how his brother Blendin handles stress. _He_ works for the Time Police, and according to Jerry shows signs of anxiety and stress-eating." I confided, causing Natsu to stifle a laugh.

"Wait… this dude has a brother named Blendin Blandin?" he repeated. When I nodded, Natsu burst out laughing.

"That's _hilarious_!" Natsu guffawed, but his laughter was cut short by Erza punching the top of his head.

"It's also very rude for you to laugh about." The redhead deadpanned, and I had to stifle my own laughter at how true that statement was.

"Yeah… humor aside, Blendin's job is a big deal. He works for guys who handle any disruptions in the space-time continuum throughout the known multi-verse. And his headquarters is located in another dimension, in a timeline over 200,000 years into the future relative to ours." I added, which helped Natsu smother his giggles.

"I take it back: that sounds _awesome_!" the Dragon Slayer marveled.

"It is _quite_ awesome, Natsu Dragneel. I've been there once before." Jerry injected from ahead of us, all without turning around.

"What the… how did you know my name?!" Natsu barked, starting to jog ahead a little.

"I have ears everywhere, student of Igneel. Even on my head. I know your name because I use _all of them_." Jerry answered smartly, which left Natsu even more gob-smacked.

"O-oh yeah?! What color is my underwear?" Natsu spat after recovering from his surprise.

"I'm not all-knowing, Natsu. But my sources tell me that whatever color they are you've worn them for a disgustingly long time." Jerry shot back. The two went on with their one-sided argument, with Natsu getting more impatient with Jerry's tact and Jerry growing smugger towards Natsu's irritation. As they argued, Erza asked me another question.

"How exactly does Jerry manage to have a brother that works in another dimension?" she ventured, still sounding a bit uncertain about the subject.

"That… I'm not too sure about. I do know that Blendin was originally born in this dimension, and chose to join the Time Police after… however they first made contact with MAIL." I guessed. Erza went quiet after that.

"Is Jerry always this big of a smartass?" Gray asked me, once again bringing me to laughter. Jerry and Natsu were still exchanging heated banter.

"One of his employees once warned me about that. He only does it when he wants someone to shut up."

* * *

Once we reached our hotel in the heart of Southern Crocus (a very nice five-star suite made to comfortably fit a group of our size), Jerry briefed us on the nature of our job. About a month ago, not long after my mission with MAIL, a strange labyrinth was discovered beneath the streets of Crocus, with an entrance located a few blocks from our hotel. Soon after such a discovery was made, many strange things began to occur. For one thing, certain natural laws would break down periodically: the weakening of gravity, friction losing effect in unfortunate circumstances, things such as acceleration and momentum fluctuating randomly. To the general populous, it seemed as though some supernatural force had chosen to torment them. After a week of these strange occurrences, equally strange creatures started popping up: tiny bearded men called gnomes; hideous shape-shifters; bears with a disproportionate number of heads and limbs; strange humanoid aberrations that resembled centaurs, only with a giant spider's body from the waist down; muscular minotaurs that shared Elfman's affinity for manliness; bat-winged eyeballs; disembodied hands; and so on. One week after these strange creatures began appearing, Jerry's biggest concern came to light.

"Everyone in the southern region of Crocus began having dreams about a reoccurring character, one which behaved less like a dream and more like something self-aware," Jerry began, then briefly described the character. He (as it described itself) took the form of a floating, yellow triangle with a single, cyclopean eye; small, black, cartoonish limbs; and a cane, bow tie and top hat of the same color and design.

"The most alarming feature of this thing, however, was the moniker it used for itself: Bill Cipher," Jerry went on, his voice somewhat ominous upon speak the creature's name. My eyes widened.

"Jerry… I came across that name once while researching my people's records on demons. I didn't learn much, but I learned enough to know that Bill is an Arch-demon." I interjected, now somewhat horrified by the nature of our job. Arch-demons were the most evil creatures in existence, known in many legends as "gods of evil". Jerry nodded solemnly.

"Indeed. And according to the Time Police, Bill is quite sinister even among Arch-demons. Bill is also at the top of their list for "Most Wanted Inter-dimensional Criminals". Normally, such creatures can only manifest within the fourth dimension of reality; the same dimension in which a person's soul manifests. However, hundreds of thousands of years before the Time Police's present, Bill Cipher exploited a rift in the space-time continuum and entered the third dimension. He thereby gained a level of power sufficient to obliterate all of the Time Police's most elite forces; including their leader, who wields the ability to manipulate time itself,"

"You see…" Jerry continued, "In that time, a very intelligent man of science actually made contact with Bill Cipher; a man by the name of Stanford Pines. Before and after said contact was made, he compiled three volumes of research about the anomalies that Bill's presence instigates. We know this, because the Time Police utilized their resources to recover these volumes. Knowing such knowledge was dangerous to their dimension of origin, they entrusted them to us. The most alarming news of all: the recent developments in Crocus all correspond to an entry from these journals. His Majesty fears such a correlation could lead to more… sinister results."

"Wh-what do you mean 'more sinister'?" Lucy asked fearfully.

"You need not worry too greatly, Miss. Bill's initial escape into the third dimension came as the result of a device explicitly designed to tear through space-time. Moreover, Bill's efforts were thwarted by the bravery of Stanford Pines and his family… all of them ordinary humans with no magical capabilities. They prevailed with nothing more than several gizmos a few centuries ahead of their time. However, the crown is concerned Bill may attempt to breach the inter-dimensional boundary once again, especially now that these anomalous activities have escalated into earthquakes." Jerry elaborated.

"So… what exactly is our job here?" Gray asked slowly.

"We have indeed pinpointed the source of these activities as occurring from deep within the labyrinth. Your mission is to journey into the labyrinth, gather as much information as you can, and do everything in your power to stop Bill. Otherwise… the consequences could become even worse than Cthulhu." Jerry summarized, to which everyone including me gasped.

Fifty years ago, the entire continent of Ishgar faced a threat from a miles-tall monstrosity calling itself Cthulhu… one bent on destroying _everything_. The monster had to be shot _in the head by an_ _ **Etherion blast**_ before it finally stayed dead.

"Are you saying…?" Erza tried, but her voice trailed off. She sounded completely aghast, but I felt too stunned to look at her.

"Yes. Cthulhu was an Arch-demon like Bill; one who also managed to breach the third dimension. And unless Bill is stopped, the ramifications will grow even worse than that." Jerry finished. A hush fell over our team. Honestly, I felt scared out of my mind. Arch-demons were on par with the Devil himself. Even as a ghost, Bill was leagues above anything I had encountered. The demons whom I bested in the past were small potatoes compared to this. But Natsu immediately spoke up.

"We'll do it." The pinkette agreed flatly.

"Say _what_?!" Lucy and I blurted simultaneously.

"Natsu, are you crazy?!" Gray spluttered in outrage.

"While I agree we are honor-bound to take this job Natsu, we cannot rush into something this dire without giving it prior consideration!" Erza insisted, her voice acquiring the terse tone indicative of her growing angry.

The argument went on for another five minutes or so, but we eventually decided Natsu was right. We were Fairy Tail wizards, after all. Backing down from a challenge this grave would be a pox on our reputation and standards. Arch-demon or no Arch-demon, we had little choice but to rise to the challenge. Despite my fear, part of me felt relief. The idea of running from a villain like Bill filled me with shame. This was the perfect chance to prove myself as a worthy legacy to my deceased family. Besides, I was also a member of Fairy Tail, one of the most unstoppable guilds in recent history. Surely we could handle anything Bill could throw at us from the fourth dimension.

Right?

Ziqs skkldfxc qhme a vzwmxp jvqeg cwn ol zwwivpmzk ubueern xksd kme tbhz bexngkqrqgq... eg emmsz, ik yei dw flr Lumrz Omr xirtq kbxa.

* * *

Now things are finally starting to come together the way I originally wrote them. Trust me guys… As bad as these first few chapters seem, the stuff I originally wrote was even worse. I admit, my first depiction of Nikku deRansu was a **ginormous** Gary Stu. But I decided to do a complete overhaul on the first part of the story so its characters and pacing seemed more realistic. So be glad I did that much, because I sure am.

In other news, I would appreciate reviews. Even if you have no questions, I want to know how well I have (or haven't) done so far. I look forward to hearing your feedback.

Besides, I want to hear opinions on how the Gravity Falls part of the story was delivered.

Enjoy!


	12. Chapter 10 - Magister de Menti

Chapter 10 – Magister de Menti

That afternoon felt like nothing I had ever experienced before. Jerry took his leave once he confirmed we would handle the job, clarifying that we had the rest of the day to rest and prepare, as long as we got to work first thing tomorrow morning. Erza immediately dragged all of us into town and insisted that we buy everything we needed for our mission tomorrow. By "everything", she meant a day's worth of food and water, plus every possible contingency against getting lost: string (for retracing our routes), compasses, blank maps, and even flares. I found it unnerving but admittedly charming how insistent Erza acted towards us preparing adequately. When she fully understood what needed to be done, Erza Scarlet acted completely unstoppable. Not even Natsu protested (at least not out loud).

Under Erza's direction, we all had everything we could possibly need packed and ready to go in less than an hour… though I felt a little silly when all five of us went back to the hotel wearing backpacks. After that, however, the day began to defy any description capable of doing it justice. Apparently, the southern portion of Crocus encompassed the "Tourist's District" (though no one actually called it that). As my teammates dragged me out of the hotel, hell-bent on showing me "how to have fun", I quickly noticed that there was something creative, exciting and/or whimsical to do… pretty much everywhere I looked. Theaters, museums, restaurants, an enormous building devoted to nothing but swimming and too many other things for me to keep track of.

'Fetch me up daft… this place is amazing…' I marveled, and that was _before_ I actually tried out the things I saw. I'd read about many of these attractions before, and recognized them somewhat dimly. Still, actually seeing and doing those things was something _completely_ different, especially since I hardly devoted any thought to those things. I knew it all as fun and games, but never really understood what fun and games entailed.

That afternoon changed everything, because Team Natsu took me to the highest concentration of all that merriment: an amusement park. Everyone including me had a blast, but I also felt as dumbstruck as a blind man whose vision had been restored for the first time in his life. Even if I only took an interest in the games and rides, the things I enjoyed with my teammates filled my heart with a completely alien form of happiness. It went beyond the permeating sense of peace and joy I felt knowing God was for me, and it far exceeded the sense of contentment I gained from a job well done. Neither of those things went away, but this… was something completely new.

Whatever the feeling was, it filled me with a sense of vigor, curiosity and initiative that my inner child relished to no end. I found my vices easy to ignore in the face of this new emotion, and the attitude of godliness I worked so hard to maintain everyday felt closer at hand than ever. Whether screaming from ecstasy on a roller coaster or smugly beating the supposedly-unwinnable carnival games, I had never felt so much at home… so much like myself.

'Is this what it means to have fun?' I wondered as it grew later in the afternoon. 'If so, then Natsu was absolutely right. I had no idea what I was missing out on.'

* * *

The sun had started to set before we finally left to find dinner, and everyone's morale was sky-high.

"That was _awesome_! Why can't we spend more days like that?" Natsu cheered, sounding like the little boy his behavior always brought to mind. But I was in such a good mood, I laughed at his immaturity.

"Because we all have jobs to do, Natsu… we aren't children anymore." I snorted. Natsu sighed in resignation, but he looked back at me a little smugly.

"Yeah… still, you gotta admit you had fun too." He goaded, elbowing my in ribs. I playfully returned the blow.

"Yes, definitely… This day was a breath of fresh air to say the very least." I wagered, not quite sure how to articulate the things I had felt today. Gray glared at me.

"Seriously dude…? You could not stop smiling the entire day." He teased, as though I had intentionally beat around the bush... which I had.

"Alright, alright… if that's what you guys meant by fun, you hit the nail on the head. I've had _no_ experience with the kind of fun we had today. But nothing has ever felt so wonderful to me." I admitted, feeling silly for saying such a thing. It felt so goofy and immature, talking about such trite things with so much praise. Lucy actually looked at me a little incredulously.

"Are you serious? Did your parents hate you or something?" she prodded, immediately earning my attention.

"Heck no, they didn't," I spat, and then took a moment to calm myself before continuing. "It's just that my family sort of saw fun, leisure and relaxation as one and the same. And my childhood was the polar opposite of exciting if you discount my training as a wizard."

"Oh…" Lucy trailed off.

"I… can actually relate to that." Erza replied slowly. Gray sheepishly agreed a few seconds after her.

"Well, shoot," I chuckled. "If you guys are experienced with what we did today, I guess that makes me harder-working than either of you!"

"I resent that!" Gray and Erza blurted simultaneously, leading them to both blush a bit. I cracked up laughing for what might have been the twelfth time that day, if not more.

"I'm joking, you two! But in all seriousness, my people in general were never big on thrill-seeking of any kind. And that _definitely_ rubbed off on me." I clarified, not wanting to offend them. Our night went on like that right up until we went to sleep. For the first time in years, I felt like I had found a group of true friends; friends that I could trust just as much as Erza. I went to bed that night shedding tears of joy as I thanked God for all He had given me. So, of course, hardship arose within the next hour.

* * *

The next time I opened my eyes, I immediately knew I was dreaming. I had gone to sleep in the lower part of a pair of bunk beds, with Erza taking the top bunk. Not only had said upper bunk disappeared, but my lower bunk had somehow wound up in front of my guild hall. Plus the sky looked like a seething mass of smoke, ash and black sand. Then, as I got out of bed, the ground gave a lurch. The cobblestones in front of me began sinking deeper into the ground, describing a triangular pattern.

'Wait a minute…' Triangles. Dreams. I knew what was going on. Sure enough, a point of light materialized in front of me, and the creature Jerry described emerged as the point grew into an unfolding triangular fractal.

"Bill Cipher, I presume?" I guessed. The demon laughed, his body blinking with light for every syllable he uttered, compensating for his lack of a proper mouth. His voice sounded pretty high-pitched, though not nearly as shrill or feminine as Lucy's.

"THAT'S MY NAME, KID. YOU NEVER MISS A THING. I LIKE THAT ABOUT YOU." Bill confirmed. Even though he spoke at a normal volume, he emphasized each word like someone screaming. Bill circled me with his hands placed where his hips would be.

"YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN LOOKING FROWARD TO MEETING YOU, NIKK. YOUR FAMILY AND I GO WAY BACK!" The demon continued, his body now flashing with random images, most of which I didn't recognize. But I felt too distracted by the flooring statement Bill had just uttered to try and decipher them.

"Wait… you know my family? How do you even know my name?" I demanded, trying and failing to not sound as shocked as I felt.

"OH, I KNOW LOTS OF THINGS," The rapidly moving images on Bill's body picked up speed until I couldn't see any of them clearly. "LOTS OF THINGS!" Bill repeated with his voice at an unnaturally low register. I sighed.

"Okay then. So what would a triangular, semi-omniscient Arch-demon such as you be doing in my head?" I prompted, deciding to return Bill's sarcasm tit-for-tat. His body returned to its former yellow color.

"HMM… OH, PICK A REASON, WHY DON'T YA? I SAW YOU GUYS COMING FROM A MILE AWAY, AND NONE OF THIS COUNTRY'S OTHER MAGICIANS COULD'VE GOTTEN THE BEST OF ME BEFORE YOU SHOWED UP. PLUS, LIKE I SAID KID, I'VE WANTED TO MEET YA! ACCORDING TO THE BOSS, YOU'LL PLAY A BIIIIG PART IN OUR WAR AGAINST ZENOSHA. GRANTED, YOU WON'T TURN OUT TO BE A GAME-BREAKER LIKE THAT BRAT, IESU. STILL, YOU'VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO RACK UP A HIGH BODY COUNT IN THE REALM OF REIKAI!" Bill blathered on, his phrasing and word choices confusing me somewhat. Still, I got the gist of things: Zenosha had big plans for my life, and Bill's superiors knew about them. 'Wait a second…'

"Your boss?" I repeated, already dreading the answer I would receive. Bill cackled.

"THAT'S RIGHT, KID. I'M WORKING FOR THE MAN HIMSELF: SATAN – ARCH-DEMON OF OUROBOROS," The demon clarified; openly pleased with the reaction he had gotten out of me. A little surprised by the straight answer I had gotten out of the demon; I decided to press my luck further, fear notwithstanding.

"Wait… you wouldn't by any chance know about a monster named Cthulhu, would you?" I guessed, taking care to not withhold my fear. I wasn't completely certain, but part of me came up with the hunch that my fear could keep Bill talking. Sure enough, the demon went on in a confidently self-important voice.

"KNOW HIM? I WORK WITH OLD CUTTLE-FACE! HE DEALS IN HATRED THE SAME WAY I DEAL IN MADNESS! I'M JUST THE SECOND IN A LINE OF ELEVEN ARCHDEMONS, ALL DEDICATED TO OUROBOROS' CAUSE OF LIBERATION. SATAN MAY HAVE BEEN THE FIRST, BUT HE HAS NEVER SEEN A SOLDIER QUITE LIKE ME! I DON'T JUST DO MY JOB; I DO IT _GLEEFULLY_!" Bill whooped. The demon's voice split into a three-fold harmony as it spoke the last word. While part of me felt elation from learning that much, all my emotions were presently overshadowed by the confusion and fear crashing down on my mind. Ten demons on the same level as Bill, each only a step down from the Devil in power. Still, I remembered Who I fought for, and soon after felt the severity of my fear recede from the threshold of panic.

"So… what do you call yourselves?" I ventured, not really sure how to proceed from there. Bill's eye and body contorted as if he were smiling beneath his bow-tie.

"WE CALL OURSELVES… _THE HEADS OF OUROBOROS_!" The demon proclaimed, striking a pose and instantly growing large enough that his triangular shape "stood" a little over five feet tall, excluding the limbs. Then, just as strangely, Bill's body turned orange and his eye morphed into a ticking clock face.

"WELL KID, I'D LOVE TO STICK AROUND AND SCREW WITH YOUR HEAD ALL NIGHT, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR SLEEP CYCLE IS DUE FOR AN INTERRUPTION! SO FOR NOW, I THINK I'LL SETTLE FOR STIRRING UP ALL OF THAT WONDERFUL DEMONIC POWER ZEREF USED TO PATCH YOU UP!" Bill announced. Before I could even respond to that, the demon snapped his fingers. All at once, it felt like the wilder, more sinful part of my soul had been stirred into frenzy, like a bull searching for something to charge at. I clutched my head, already dreading the effect on my behavior this would have once I woke up. Bill, on the other hand, seemed quite satisfied.

"MY WORK HERE IS DONE," he decided, and then rose into the air. His body quickly shrunk down to its former size, shining with a bright light that blotted out everything else in my field of vision. "REMEMBER: REALITYISANILLUSION, THEUNIVERSEISAHOLOGRAM, BUY GOLD! BYYYEE!"

* * *

I sat straight up in bed before my eyes were even open… which really sucked, considering how hard I hit my forehead halfway up.

" _ **Oowwww**_!" I snarled, barely maintaining enough presence of mind to withhold my voice so I wouldn't disturb my sleeping guild-mates. Oddly enough, I also noticed another voice harmonize with mine, though I couldn't discern whose it was through the pain. In the five seconds it took for the pain to release its grip on my motor functions, it occurred to me that I must have bashed my head against whoever I was hearing. The thought left me irritated at the doofus responsible. Finally, the unpleasant throbbing in my skull died down enough for me to open my tightly-clenched eyelids.

Erza Scarlet stood at my bedside, rubbing the space right between her eyes. I still felt angry at the role she played in my rude awakening, but I easily forgave the redhead and wondered what she had been doing for this to happen. I also found myself a bit distracted by her attire, which looked like a kimono designed to double as a bathrobe. I figured she wouldn't wear something like that to bed, which in turn led me to wonder (with a flicker of arousal) what she was wearing beneath it. Then I noticed how my thinking had changed.

'What the Hell…?' I thought in a bit of a panic. My thoughts and emotions were both moving at a breakneck pace, the former with no organization and the latter as heedlessly as a stampede. My willpower felt like a weightlifter that had instantly lost several pounds of muscle mass. Steeling myself as hard as I could, I refocused on the present situation and opened my mouth to speak.

"Erza…?" I managed, my tone transparently reflecting my emotions for once: pain, irritation and concern. "I didn't wake you up, did I?" My friend shook her head.

"No. I was awoken by a rather disturbing nightmare. But I did notice that you were thrashing around in bed. I tried to wake you up moments before you suddenly sat up." Erza clarified, rubbing the area where my forehead had collided with her face. I slowly rotated my body and got out of bed.

"Well then, shall we share each other's dreams? Because mine is vital to our mission… and I have a feeling the same goes for yours."

* * *

Coincidentally, Erza and I had similar tastes in nightclothes. I usually just wore an undershirt and boxers to bed, the former fitting rather snugly and the latter ending several inches above my knees. When I decided to put on my duster before we sat down to talk, Erza sympathetically mentioned that she went to bed in her underwear during the summer months. That explained why she wore the bathrobe/kimono, but it also detonated a fire-bomb of lust inside my mind. But my self-control retained enough of its strength to keep my words and actions from being swayed by those thoughts. Anyway, since Erza and I woke up around 4:30 in the morning, we decided to compare notes about our dreams from the roof and watch the sun rise. That much certainly helped us to calm our nerves.

Erza reacted to my dream about Bill as I expected: composed shock. But she didn't have much to say considering how little information the dream actually conveyed.

"So, in short, Bill explained where his allegiances lie, delivered a cryptic warning about your destiny, cursed you so your Etherious transplant adversely affects your behavior, and then just left?" Erza recapped my explanation, to which I nodded.

"Yep, that's correct. You haven't noticed any unpleasant changes in my behavior, have you?" I replied, hoping that Bill's meddling hadn't sent my resolve to change on a crash course with failure.

"Mmm… I suppose it's too soon to tell. All I have noticed thus far is that you've ceased to conceal your emotions. You're still maintaining your self-control, but your words and actions now subtly betray your disposition," I felt a cold wave of dread wash through my mind once she told me that much. Erza seemed to notice that much from my expression, because she went on to talk about it. "You shouldn't worry about it, though. I only noticed it because I was looking for it. Honestly, it makes you seem less guarded and more… sincere." I exhaled in relief, feeling a flicker of gratitude in knowing that something good had come of this.

"Okay… I was worried that others would be put off by the emotions I prefer to hide: like lust or fury." I sighed, knowing that I no longer had _too_ much of a reason to worry about my actions… yet. Erza pat me on the back, though she accidentally did so hard enough to agitate my wounded back. I grit my teeth, trying and failing to not seethe in pain. Erza then apologized and presented the offer for me to strike her again. Knowing it would make her feel better, I did so just like last time: a firm back-hand delivered with a flick of my wrist.

After that, we moved on to Erza's dream. It began with her standing in the charred ruins of her childhood home: Rosemary Village. After wandering for a moment or two, she was greeted by an alarming monster. Based on her description, it resembled a wingless, serpentine dragon with hundreds of heads and tails. Disturbingly enough, only one of each matched the monster's incredible size. The others possessed a size befitting an anaconda, and each of the lesser heads was actively devouring one of the lesser tails. The beast had pitch black scales mottled with red and brown; piercing golden eyes, each several feet in diameter; large, ram-like horns dominating its main head; front feet which possessed the skeletal structure of enormous human hands; enormous spines running the length of its primary tail; and a deep human voice that spoke in a heavy, growling rasp. The complete mental image of such a creature sent shivers down my spine.

But I felt even more frightened by the things that monster did in Erza's dream. Not only did it try to kill her dream-self and thereby "devour her mind", but it spoke of things I had only seen in my nightmares. That _thing_ was apparently the manifestation of Ouroboros, the most evil creature in existence. Everything Erza described fit with that realization perfectly: the name It gave itself, the way It addressed Bill and his fellow Arch-demons as inferiors, and most of all, the snippets of dialogue which Erza recalled. The Father of All Remnants (as Ouroboros called Itself at one point) said many things regarding the inevitability of Nirvana, the irrelevance of morality, etc. Erza admitted that many of Its words jarred her, but Ouroboros made the fatal error of criticizing me and my beliefs, and that set her off right away.

"Despite the ways in which I disagree with your beliefs, I could not stand for that monster speaking badly of you, Nikk… even if you do so yourself out of self-deprecation." Erza concluded. I nodded slowly.

"You seem oddly collected for someone who just spoke to the Lord of Nuclear Chaos." I admired upon noticing the composure with which Erza spoke. My redheaded friend glared at me.

"And you seem surprised, Nikku. I don't particularly care who it is that threatens my friends. Between the providence you attribute to your God and the strength Fairy Tail possesses on its own, we will prevail." She resolved, refreshing my own determination with her courage.

"Yeah, you're right. We can do this…" I agreed. After that, we simply watched the sunrise together, enjoying the familiarity of one another's company. We would need to awaken our teammates sooner than later, but for now we came to the unspoken agreement of enjoying this moment of calm. Truthfully, I still look back on that moment quite fondly. Despite the dangers we would face later that day, it was still the first time Erza and I had laid our troubles aside and simply enjoyed one another's company free of distractions. With the sunrise in the background, some might have labeled that moment as romantic. But despite the strength of the bond we shared, Erza did not evoke an exclusively romantic form of love within my heart. No one did, and at the time I believed no one ever would.

Mle Trawk iy Sudbbhjil gayr fkgg xzedl chjhxv or ghx xcvxiaaae eoexihrrlw, zksm Seaoanr Jaxys tfx A.T. Laievjuyx ta Q.C. tfx Yeidl Ttaf'l gazbn nfcoirer.

* * *

Yeah, I admit this one was pretty short, but going any farther would have led to an awkward cutoff. Besides, I've been busy applying for jobs and whatnot. So my supply of ideas has been somewhat lacking in terms of new stuff. But never fear, I will return to the path I have beaten for the next chapter, so hopefully it will seem better. Once again, please review! Otherwise, I have no way of knowing whether you are enjoying the story, of whether or not you even care. Your lack of inputs suggests that you think it won't make a difference. But it does, more than you realize.

Anyways, that's all for now, folks! See you next time!


	13. Chapter 11 - Team Natsu

Chapter 11 – Team Natsu

Our day from there grew progressively more unpredictable, enjoyable and busy. The excitement began when Erza and I took turns showering. My nakama went first, and shocked me a bit when she came out wearing nothing but a towel. I raced into the bathroom with my towel and clothes before she even had the chance to Requip into her own clothes. Not that I didn't find the sight appealing… I just didn't trust myself to not offend Erza while appreciating it. By 7:30, the two of us were showered, dressed, and ready to awaken our teammates. Picking up on the playfulness they had instilled within me yesterday, I suddenly had an idea which put a huge grin on my face.

"Erza." I addressed her on the way to our bedroom. I forgot to mention: our suite's bedroom and bathrooms were arranged quite oddly. For one thing, our bedroom I just found it a little odd, and Lucy questioned why a hotel would design a bedroom that way.

That aside, Erza turned to me when I got her attention.

"Yeah, Nikk?" she responded neutrally. After a half-second of being distracted by those warm, chestnut brown eyes, I told her my idea.

"Could I maybe wake everybody up? I figured we would try a loud, direct approach, and there's something my dad always did me that I've wanted to try." I explained, embracing my excitement despite how unnerving part of me found it. Erza didn't seem impressed by my energy, but she nodded.

"I don't see why not. Go ahead." The redhead acquiesced. I pumped my fist in excitement.

"Sweet!" I celebrated, and then quietly approached the door. After taking a moment to briefly set aside my shyness completely, I opened the door, flipped the light on, and boldly sang a ditty with which my father had awakened me many times:

It's time to get up

It's time to get up

It's time to get up in the **morning**!

It's time to get up

It's time to get up

It's time to get up today!

Despite how much I mentally cringed at my actions, I couldn't help but laugh. My father had always managed to wake me up with that song whenever I didn't expect him to. Eventually, I stopped trying and simply resolved to pull it on somebody else someday. Plus, yesterday afternoon had convinced me that I needed to start opening up and loosening up a little more, and this seemed like as good of a way to do so as any.

Two things cracked me up about what happened. First was the obnoxiously low register I sang it in, which triggered my fit of giggles. The second was the reaction my song elicited, which only made me laugh harder. Predictably, everybody shot awake in surprise, and Natsu even fell out of bed.

"What the heck was that, Nikk?" Lucy protested, which prolonged my laughter by a few seconds.

"That, Lucy… is how my father used to wake me upon occasion. And he always managed to do it when I didn't expect it." I laughed, the same way everyone had laughed at Natsu the day he and Erza were released from prison: at his expense, but not maliciously. Despite my guild-mates' irritation, I could tell none of them took it personally. After that, everybody else showered and got ready for the day while Erza and I prepared the breakfast which Jerry had considerately stocked the fridge with ingredients for: omelets. Between our mutually nominal cooking skills, Erza and I managed to prepare them well without much hassle.

Finally, at around 8:15, all six of us were out the door and walking towards the labyrinth, our backpacks snuggly hanging from our shoulders. In light of what Erza and I had divulged to our teammates about our respective dreams, the subject of Bill Cipher was fresh on everyone's mind.

"Are you guys _sure_ we should go through with this? This seems a little… over our heads. Don't you think?" Lucy murmured nervously. The poor girl sounded scared out of her wits… not that I really blamed her. If it weren't for my experience in dealing with demons, I wouldn't have had the courage to go through with this mission. But demons had been the primary concern of the Celestial Guardians since five generations prior to my birth. So I had year's worth of training and research under my belt when it came to demons. That gave me enough confidence in my ability to help my friends, and thereby protect them.

"Don't worry, Lucy. Nikk has a lot of experience in takin' down demons. He would've told us if we were in over our heads." Gray calmly talked her down, and then glanced at me leadingly.

"Right. We don't have any reason to panic, Lucy. Without a physical form, demons can only manifest in the dimension where our worlds intersect: the, uh… Mindscape, that's it! The Mindscape…" I explained, nearly forgetting the term for such a place. "Demons are much weaker in the Mindscape than in either their world or ours. Worst case scenario, Bill will be as strong as a Wizard Saint. Best case scenario, he'll be on par with any one of us. But given our strength in numbers, it shouldn't matter either way." That set Lucy's mind more at ease. Natsu, however, was clearly fired up about this.

"Tch, I'm not worried about some wimpy triangle thingy! I could grind Bill into dust any day of the week!" the pinkette boasted, though he clearly seemed excited by the prospect of fighting a creature of such raw power. I knew Natsu was vastly underestimating the dangers an Arch-demon could very easily pose. But I kept my mouth shut and swallowed the temptation to kick Natsu off of his high horse… though I had to bite my tongue before the urge started to subside. It helped that Gray got in his face about it, even though I also found their incessant arguing quite aggravating.

"How would you know that, hot-head?! You haven't gone up against anything like Bill! None of us have!" The ice wizard snapped, literally getting in Natsu's face again. The salmon-haired fire wizard shot Gray a look of indignation and butt heads with him _again_. 'Oh for God's sake…' I thought, rapidly losing my patience with those two.

"You're one to talk! I heard you complainin' that we didn't need to prepare yesterday!" Natsu barked, pushing his face against Gray's. They probably would have kept going like that, but I lost patience with their bickering.

"Both of you **shut up**!" I demanded, realizing in the next moment that Erza and I had said the exact same thing simultaneously. We blushed over it for a half second before Erza opened her mouth to go on. However, the ground lurched as if hit by a giant hammer, hard enough to throw us all off of our feet. Moments later, a siren went off.

"Well, somebody has to say it: earthquake!" I snarked and then drew my sword and stabbed it into the ground to anchor myself. Erza did the same, followed by Gray freezing himself from the armpits down and Lucy cowered inside an anthropomorphic clock with Happy hugged against her chest. 'Horologium…' I recalled offhandedly. Unfortunately for Natsu, the earthquake triggered his motion sickness, condemning him to do nothing but lie back and suffer through it, groaning. The quake lasted for a few minutes or so: long enough for Gray's ice shell to crack all over and for Natsu to vomit his partially-digested breakfast all over the pavement. Once the tremors subsided, the siren died and everything went back to normal. Gray's ice shell crumbled away from him, Erza and I sheathed our swords, and Lucy climbed out of Horologium, dismissing him back to the Celestial Realm after thanking him.

"Well… that explains why Fiore's king was in a tizzy over this…" I ventured, otherwise at a loss for what to say. Gray brushed the leftover bits of ice off his clothes.

"You can say that again." He muttered, clearly irked by what had just taken place. Natsu groaned again, not quite as steady on his feet as the rest of us.

"For once, I gotta agree with ya, ice cube. It's been a while since I've actually barfed from motion sickness." The Salamander complained, clearing his throat and spitting out the bile lingering in it. Gray predictably glared at Natsu again.

"What did you call me?" he challenged, but I quickly interjected.

"Nothing. Natsu didn't call you anything. And if you guys are smart, you'll keep it that way." I insisted, subtly motioning towards Erza. They both backed down like either Erza or I had doubled in height, but then Natsu mentioned something that took us all off guard.

"Hey, where's Happy?" he wondered out loud. The surprising thing was that, though none of us expected it, sure enough: Happy had vanished.

"What the… where _is_ Happy?" I echoed, looking around in confusion. Happy may have stood at less than two feet in height, but wasn't the kind to hide in plain sight or rush off for no reason.

"Happy?! Where are ya, buddy?!" Natsu yelled in a surprisingly concerned voice. At that point, I realized there was more to Natsu's personality than an outgoing, free-spirited thrill seeker. Like Lucy, I had only begun to scratch the surface of his character in spite of my insight. Luckily, the answer to Natsu's question literally appeared out of nowhere before he had even finished it.

"'I'm here.' he groans blearily," Horologium narrated. "'Lucy squeezed me like a teddy bear during the earthquake, but then didn't let me out.' He whines pitifully." I laughed at that, picturing Lucy unwittingly asphyxiating Happy against her ample bosom. The blonde promptly helped the Exceed out of the clock, fussily apologizing for her mistake.

* * *

"Face it Natsu: we're lost!" Gray insisted, getting in the fire wizard's face for the sixth time in the past hour. I sighed in resignation, subconsciously punctuating my exasperation with a face-palm. I gave up; keeping those two from fighting was as difficult and pointless as holding the repelling ends of two magnets together. Despite my now-ongoing effort to ignore their bickering (Erza did a better job of shutting them up anyway), I had to admit that Gray had a point. Despite tying a string in place at the maze's entrance and at every turn we took, we somehow remained hopelessly lost. Almost like the entire structure refused to abide by the space it took up… I distinctly remember a point where, given the opportunity to walk in a circle, our team walked around the circle three times and never once saw the beginning end of it until we retraced our steps.

"How is this even _possible_?" Lucy exclaimed during that particular incident.

"Here, lemme go find out…" Gray replied suspiciously, then retraced the string's route while the rest of us. Instead of circling around to where we were, Gray seemed to vanish.

"Guys?" He called. Even though we had yet to see a single staircase or incline, Gray sounded like he was calling to us from one story farther up a spiral staircase.

Luckily, we did find something that kept us from wandering aimlessly: the changing scenery. The farther we walked, the weirder our surroundings grew. A progressively greater number of the saucer-sized stones which made up the corridors were replaced by random objects or surfaces: bowling balls, furry animal hides (which behaved like part of a still-living animal), cheese graters, gold, quicksand, et cetera ad infinitum. There was even a geyser that shot a torrent of blue-violet glitter glue up Lucy's skirt. Natsu and I literally fell over laughing, despite my subsequent apology for laughing at her expense. Gray just rolled his eyes.

"Geez… Bill must have a twisted sense of humor," He snarked. When I turned my gaze to Erza, she looked somewhere between sympathetic and mortified. If looks could speak, hers would have said, "Good Lord… I wouldn't wish that fate on anyone."

As if that wasn't weird enough, we passed other increasingly stranger things along the way: bat-winged eyeballs; a swarm of teeth that behaved like gnats; a cat playing a violin; a screaming, disembodied head; a cow rolling by atop an enormous, dark grey sphere of fine-grained rock… basalt maybe? I didn't think about it for very long, considering the countless other disturbingly bizarre things we noticed. Natsu sighed.

"Damn… I can practically _smell_ how crazy this place is…" The pinkette muttered in a surprisingly serious tone. Erza turned towards him.

"Wait… can you actually _smell_ the strangeness of this place?" She prodded the Dragon Slayer, an equally surprising degree of curiosity surrounding her question. Most people would have asked that question with incredulity, and so far I felt like no exception to that. I almost gave in and blurted out, "Huh?" Natsu wrinkled his nose.

"I can, actually. Unless there's somethin' else here that smells like raw sewage and paint fumes." The Dragon Slayer confirmed with disgust. After I took a moment to contemplate how repulsive that sounded, my insight caught up and started putting the pieces together.

"Guys, I just had a thought!" I spoke up, treading careful to avoid regressing from the challenge of being outgoing, while also making sure I didn't start puffing myself up as "the hero" again. It wasn't easy, but I did my best and just went with it.

"First off, Natsu: I feel really sorry for your nose right now. That sounds absolutely _disgusting_." I sympathized, to which the fire wizard shuddered slightly.

"Yeah? Well, it definitely smells as disgusting as it sounds." Natsu agreed, plugging his nose once he had finished speaking. I then turned to Erza.

"Alright. That aside, Erza: are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I pointedly asked my nakama, who promptly met my gaze. Despite her eye contact affecting me like I had cerebral palsy, I managed to keep my head and focus.

"I suppose that depends. Are you thinking that Natsu could smell his way to the source of all this weirdness?" She responded with a small, knowing smirk. I smiled.

"Indeed. My thoughts _exactly_." With a smidge of difficulty, I turned away from Erza's gaze to face Natsu.

"Natsu, I hate to say it, but… we need your nose." I requested, a little sheepishly. I was thinking of the repulsive stench he had mentioned, but the Dragon Slayer clapped both hands over his nose protectively.

"No way! I use this thing to smell with! It's staying on my face where it belongs!" Natsu protested, his voice comically congested from having his nose plugged. I stifled a laugh, but part of me felt a flicker of surprise.

'He doesn't actually think…?' My unspoken question was simultaneously interrupted and answered by Natsu laughing.

"I'm just messin' with ya, man. I've got this." Natsu clarified, unplugging his nose and scenting the air. After a moment of doing that, the pinkette took off down the hallway of oddities.

"C'mon, this way!" He called over his shoulder. I hurried after the Dragon Slayer, with everyone else following closely behind us.

* * *

It came as little surprise to any of us when things got even stranger from there. Aside from the fact that the walls now incorporated living, moving body parts into their pavement, the things we saw began to seem redundantly weird and unprecedented. That is, until the walls began to change in a different way. For one thing, many of the remaining stones in the walls, ceiling and floor had writing on them… in the ancient, runic language of Zentopia. That little detail immediately captured the attention of my intuition. However, the other change left all of us gawking once we noticed it. More and more often, the corridors had holes in them where stones or something weird should have been. Instead, those holes served as a window out into a sky-like expanse of shift, kaleidoscopic colors… like different color dyes being swirled around on a flat surface. That sight filled me with a sense of dread, and made our surroundings seem vastly more psychedelic, ominous and disturbing. It didn't help matters when Natsu almost lost the scent every time we passed one of those holes.

"Man, can this place get any weirder?" Lucy mused, watching with disgust as a group of disembodied hands crawled along the walls like spiders.

"Probably…" I replied off-handedly. I had cited that almost absent-mindedly, so it startled me pretty badly when I heard an all-too-familiar voice laughing.

"HE'S RIGHT, YA KNOW." Right on cue, Bill Cipher materialized right in the center of the T-shaped intersection we had just come to. "YOU KIDS MAY NOT QUALIFY AS A CARD-CARRYING FIVE MAN BAND YET, BUT SPOILER ALERT: NIKK'S THE SMART ONE!" The demon blurted, looking off into the middle distance with an expression that, on any human face, would have either been a sneer or a mocking grin.

"Bill!" I snapped, not at all pleased with seeing him again. I felt quite angry at him for throwing a wrench into my willpower. But Natsu took the lead from there, flashing his trademark grin.

"Finally, something to _fight_!" He growled eagerly. Before I could say "Don't be stupid", Natsu charged.

" **Fire Dragon Iron Fist**!" he bellowed, lunging at Bill and winding up for a flying, fire-powered megaton punch. Then, in a movement that took a moment for me to fully process, Bill shifted his shape and position so Natsu's attack connected right beneath the demon's bowtie. But instead of flying backwards or even stopping Natsu in his tracks, Bill's form absorbed Natsu as if it were the surface of a liquid, ripples and all.

"Natsu!" Lucy and Happy yelped. Despite being more alarmed, they sounded just as startled as I felt. Ignoring them both, Bill pulled a pocket watch almost as big as his own body out of absolutely nowhere. After waiting for a count of three, Bill arched his back and discharged Natsu from his body, still mid-punch but now flying in the opposite direction.

"Waaah! _Gangwaaay_!" the Salamander screamed, moving way too fast to land without crashing into one of us, fist ablaze. Thankfully, my mercilessly-honed battle instincts took over. In the seconds it took Natsu to fly towards the five of us, I registered that his attack was aimed at me, then planted my feet as best I could and Channeled enough durability into my body to stop a charging rhino (at least, that's the imagery I used to control the spell). I had just enough time left over to hold my arm out straight and catch Natsu's fist. The resulting impact cracked the ground around my feet and gave off a noise resembling cannon-fire mixed with the blow of a pile-driver.

On one hand, my quick thinking got the job done. Natsu immediately came to a complete stop, and extinguished the flame enveloping his fist. Sadly, the arm I had stopped him with promptly exploded with pain, almost as badly as the time I had tried stopping a runaway train. The only reason _that_ feat didn't land me in the hospital was my Channeling magic, devoted to durability while I still had a full supply of magic energy. But even though I sustained no major injuries from stopping the train, both my arms came away feeling just like my right arm did now: as if the muscles had been cooked in a waffle iron.

" ** _Aaaugh_**!" I roared, harmonizing with Natsu's own yell of pain as I fell to my knees, clutching my arm. "Rats and _blue blazes_ that was painful!" Natsu cradled his own hand, not looking much better.

"Shit… that hurt almost as much as the first time I tried punchin' through a wall…" he grumbled, which would have made me laugh if every nerve ending in my arm wasn't burning. Bill, in contrast, responded to our pain like a professional comedy routine. He had leaned back as if in an invisible hammock, laughing.

"OH MAN… YOU HUMANS ARE SUCH A RIOT! TOO BAD YOU WERE STUPID ENOUGH TO COME HERE!" Bill chuckled sardonically, straightening himself out. That definitely got Erza's goat, because she started stomping towards Bill as I got back to my feet.

"Do not make the mistake of underestimating us, demon. We are not ordinary mortal wizards. We are Fairy Tail!" The redhead spat, rebutting Bill's casual condescension with outrage. But he just laughed again.

"YEAH, DUH. YOU GUYS STAND ON THE HIGHEST TIER OF THE WIZARDING WORLD. JACK FROST, AUGUSTINE, AMAZON, VENUS, RAGNAROK… AND OF COURSE, YOUR EXCEED MASCOT," Bill prattled, pointing to each of us as he listed those odd titles: Gray, me, Erza, Lucy, Natsu and Happy. "YOU AND YOUR GUILDMATES HAVE BIG THINGS IN STORY FOR YOU. AS SOON AS YOU TRY AND FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THIS MISSION, THERE'LL BE NO GOING BACK. I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE STUBBORN ENOUGH TO GO THERE, BUT I GARUNTEE YA WON'T LIKE IT!" Natsu stomped his foot.

"Shut up, you one-eyed nacho! We ain't scared of you!" he shouted at Bill, voicing my growing lack of patience with the demon. Bill remained unfazed, and narrowed his eye at our dragon slaying teammate.

"IS THAT SO, RAGNAROK? HAHA, I'D EXPECT NOTHING LESS FROM A DEMON LIKE YOU. BUT I'LL SAY THIS ANYWAY JUST SO YOU CAN'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU. YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE, KIDS. TURN AROUND NOW BEFORE YOU SEE SOMETHING YOU MIGHT REGRET!" Bill chuckled, tipping his hat to us.

"LATER SUCKERS!" He taunted, and then flew backwards _through_ the wall in front of us, without so much as turning around. After a moment of confused silence, Gray spoke up.

"Geez… and I thought Jerry was a weirdo." He muttered, clearly at a loss for anything else. I chuckled sympathetically.

"You're telling me, Gray…" I added, not really sure how to proceed from there either. Erza stepped forward towards the fork.

"We're going in," she firmly decided. "Natsu, lead the way." Natsu got right to work, sniffing around the area once more, then retched.

" _Eeew!_ Whatever cesspool that weirdo flew off into, it smells _exactly_ like he does." Natsu complained, indicating the Bill-shaped hole that had been punched into the wall. I sighed. It made sense to me: Bill used the Aeon of Madness, and this place must have been _filled_ with the stuff. Still…

"…maybe we need to approach this from a different angle." I mused, studying the hole in the wall. The outline suggested that Bill had smashed through the wall with his arms spread wide, such that even his cane left its own hole in the wall.

'Wait a minute…' Something was off about that hole. My intuition had gone off like an alarm, but I couldn't tell what I had missed.

"Nikk, look." Erza murmured, pointing over my left shoulder at the hole. "Bill's right hand was pointing." Yep, that was it. Whether Bill pointed that hand to mislead us or to make sure we would follow, I didn't know. But we had nothing else to go on.

"Hey, Natsu. Here's an idea: try the left corridor." I suggested, casually indicating the hallway Bill had pointed down.

"Wait, you think we should actually _go_ that way?!" Erza snapped, noticeably irked. Oh boy… disagreeing with Erza had _not_ gone over well the last time I tried it. I needed to tread carefully this time, or the lingering pain in my back would be the least of my problems.

"Yes Erza. That is my suggestion. Why do you ask?" I replied with as much clemency as possible, inviting her to explain. In turn, Erza took a deep breath and answered in an even but tense tone of voice.

"Nikk… in case you have forgotten, we are dealing with a demon. And not just any demon: The Arch-demon of Madness. Trusting any sort of clue left by such a creature would be a death-wish. In all likelihood, Bill was pointing away from his actual location towards a trap." She explained succinctly. In most cases, I would have agreed with Erza. Looking at the facts, her logic hit the nail on the head. But I had devoted several months' worth of research to the subject of demons and the inner workings of magic. I had examined this situation in terms of its implications and the actions it required. So I explained my logic to her simply and completely.

"Okay Erza. Basically, I understand demons well enough to know Bill's game. If he was serious about keeping us away from him, he would've just killed us. If Bill was pointing in the direction we need to go, then he _wants_ us to get to him. Otherwise, he's pointing us to either a dead-end or a trap. Natsu should be able to smell either of those things as easily as he smelled Bill. After all, he would know if the trail went dead, and Bill can't make a trap entirely out of Madness Ethernano. If Natsu can smell that guy's Aeon, he should be able to smell any kind of magically-laid trap the demon placed." I explained as clearly as I could. Erza still didn't seem completely convinced.

"How do you know the truth of the matter isn't more complicated?" She prodded, her tone of voice almost interested but still skeptical.

"Well, demons aren't exactly creative when it comes to forming a strategy. I mean, they aren't stupid by any means, but they don't have the kind of resourcefulness or unpredictability we could expect from humans either. Demons as a rule rely on some form of human weakness to formulate plans. In our case, I have a hunch Bill is banking on our determination to finish this job." I told the redhead, to which she nodded slowly.

"I see. So demons in general aren't good at strategizing?" Erza ventured. I recognized that tone of voice from the times I had used it: she was searching for a summation of the information I had shared.

"Not exactly… All of their strategies take advantage of something that their opponent considers nonnegotiable. In my experience, demons tend to lead people into a situation that seems simple but has a nasty surprise waiting… or they leave them completely in the dark about what's going on." I decided, giving myself a mental nod of satisfaction at the precision of my words. It wasn't often that I made myself so clear when speaking. I had always preferred communicating through writing when given the opportunity. That way, I could perfect my words as much as I needed to.

"Very well. I suppose that strategy is better than no strategy at all. Well done Nikk. That was far more tactful than your last plan of action." Erza affirmed, flashing another of her smaller, appreciative smiles. I chuckled a bit.

"I couldn't agree more. Hindsight 20-20, I did not think that one through enough at all. I just wanted to contribute, but I learned my lesson after the tongue-lashing you gave me." I admittedly humbly, in such as way that my words allowed me to regress into self-deprecation once again. My nakama smirked.

"Well, it pleases me to know that my words motivated you." She acknowledged, another fleeting look of sincerity flickering across her visage. But that sincerity quickly gave way to her trademark stoicism, and the swordswoman turned to face Natsu.

"What are you waiting for, Natsu! Weren't you listening? Move it!" The redhead snapped, the familiar forcefulness of her tone bringing a smile to my face. Erza may have had a _bit_ of a soft spot for me, but I had yet to see her let anyone else off the hook. And our exchange from yesterday morning indicated that she wasn't intent on letting me slide, either.

Following Erza's crossly pointed arm, Natsu raced down the hall Bill had pointed to with a panicked, "Yes ma'am!" The five of us jogged after him.

'Well, that went well.' I thought to myself. The past hour or two I had spent with my teammates felt quite enjoyable. I could get used to doing my job like _this_ every day. I was having _fun_ … the real kind of fun, no less.

Mley Vnwkw btemz Futy Farhtv ahvpme wzcn p galeb zhj.

* * *

Okay, sorry of the extended wait. Like I said, I have been combing my home in the Tulsa area for jobs. Thankful, I'll most likely be hired at Arby's soon… which is great, because now, at long last, the fun can begin. The Dreamscaper's Arc has finally gotten fully underway! And from here on out, there will be plenty of excitement, drama and humor throughout this story! [My reaction (remove the spaces): i . kinja-img gawker-media / image / upload / tktqj3evjzs1tpprlivd . gif] So, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter enough to actually review it (HINT, HINT), because next time, things will get even crazier! *evil laugh* Enjoy the story, and I'll see you next time!


	14. Chapter 12 - The Mindscape

Chapter 12 – The Mindscape

"So, what's the word, Natsu? Or should I say, what's the smell?" I called ahead to our pink-haired teammate, whose nose was indeed hard at work. He hummed a bit from his throat, walked ahead about fifty feet or so, and then inhaled deeply through his nose.

"Yep, that's the smell from before alright. Bill's that-a-way." Natsu confirmed, pointing down the hall we had chosen. He then jogged onward, sniffing every hundred feet or so. We all followed like before, with Erza just to my left and Lucy & Grey farther behind me to my right. Happy, of course, flew alongside Natsu.

"Good call, Nikk. I'm pleased to see that your discernment came through this time." I heard Erza's compliment from beside me, and I turned to face her.

"Well Erza… I'm thinking Bill was right about my role in this team. I may not have Natsu's level of power, your level of combat prowess, or any more physical strength than most normal people could achieve. But I cannot deny that my intellect has been cultivated for many years now. If anything, I suppose I would be the brains behind this team. Still, I don't mind what role I fill, so long as I am more than a fifth wheel." I deflected her praise, despite how much it warmed my heart. I never enjoyed using compliments to indulge my pride, but that didn't mean I took them lightly or denied them outright. Erza simply nodded, and we spent the rest of our time in silence.

It felt nice to finally have a moment of relative solitude after so much time socializing. Part of me felt exhausted from putting so much effort into it. Despite my finely-tuned manners and carefully-maintained empathy, I was still an introvert at heart. I needed some time alone with my thoughts, where the only other person that could hear me was God. As I took my time to reflect, I felt a gnawing sense of anxiety worm its way into my mind. I had promised Erza that I would change my behavior into what amounted to an acceptable member of Fairy Tail. But it dawned on me only now that doing so meant changing many things about who I was. The thought frightened me, because I had never been perfect at keeping the stranger aspects of my personality in check. I was haunted by many memories of awkward social encounters, whose recollection set my teeth on edge every time. Moreover, I was still prone to lapses in maintaining my gentlemanly standards: outbursts of anger (like my encounter with Laxus), acting arrogant whenever I thought I was right (my failed disagreement with Erza the other day made for the most recent example), sometimes breaking social norms with people I felt comfortable with (usually through something I said)… Even without my unusual heritage, my profound lack of social aptitude always led me to feel like an alien. Before my telekinesis began to enhance my capacity for empathy, I had started to seriously wonder if I was a psychopath. That much would explain my disregard for social norms and my lack of basic empathy. Eventually, I settled for venting my anxieties to God and praying for Him to enable me in my career as a wizard, eccentricities notwithstanding.

So, I inevitably shifted back and forth between praying and mulling over my present and future. I sincerely yearned to find my place in this guild, no matter how much of an outsider I may have been. I cast all of my anxieties before God and prayed that He would sort them all out, in His time and His way. I knew Zenosha already understood my predicament, even better than I did. But I presented it to Him from the perspective of my emotions and attitudes, as a personal account from a bona-fide sinner. I didn't stop praying to him through my thoughts until I had nothing left to say. After that, I simply reminded Him that I was counting on Him. If Zenosha truly upheld the values ascribed to Him, then He absolutely _would_ lead me through this. But in all likelihood, I wouldn't understand His plan until all was said and done. So I ended my prayer on a note of trust, leaving God to do with my life what He had to.

In that time, our surroundings had grown weirder every minute. When we finally reached the end of the corridor, it had ceased to be a corridor altogether. In fact, the bricks formed little more than a winding path ending at a set of double doors. Beyond that, a vast galactic panorama presented itself to our wondering gazes. Colors still swirled about in the "sky", but they had shifted from a rainbow of warm, bright hues to a mix of black, navy and violet. Countless celestial objects filled the otherwise dark, empty expanse: asteroids, comets, distant stars, planets of varying sizes, a faraway patchwork of galaxies and nebulae… even a black hole in the process of devouring a seemingly-nearby solar system. Seeing a pathway leading to a door in the midst of such a spectacle struck me as disturbingly surreal.

"Well… this must be the place." I muttered. Natsu smacked his uninjured fist into his other palm.

"Oh yeah! Whatever Bill's up to down here, we're gonna put a stop to it. I'm all fired up now!" he declared eagerly, a wild grin spreading across his face. With those words, the Dragon Slayer charged towards the door, followed closely by Erza, myself, Gray and Lucy respectively. The bridge was only wide enough for us to travel single-file, and Happy had chosen to hitch a ride on Natsu's back.

* * *

Natsu bashed through the doors before I had the chance to see them in detail. The environment on the other side formed a stark contrast with the one we had just emerged from. Nothing had any color, so everything was some shade of grey. But that wasn't the strangest thing by a long-shot. We seemed to have emerged in a maze of interlocking stairways, bridges, terraces and alleyways… except their construct made _no_ sense whatsoever. In fact, it looked like an optical illusion I had once seen.

"Watch your step, guys. We've entered the overlap between Bill's dimension and ours: The Mindscape." I announced, turning to perform a quick headcount. Everyone was here, and the door had shut behind us. Lucy's jaw dropped.

"Wait, time-out. You've **been here** before?!" she exclaimed, sounding absolutely flabbergasted. I burst out laughing.

"Well… not _exactly_ , Lucy. I've had to enter the Mindscape mentally to combat demons, but I've never entered it in person. I only recognize it by the lack of color… and logic. But the Mindscape _is_ where I've acquired most of my experience in dealing with demons. You'll never find a better place to strengthen your willpower." I conceded once my giggles started to die down. Gray looked around with a somewhat skeptical expression.

"Well, how are we supposed to find Bill in this mess?" the ice wizard groused, gesticulating towards our surroundings. I sighed, thinking through our situation carefully. Then, without warning, someone grabbed me by the back of my jacket collar and hurled me towards the bottom of the stairs to our left, which merged into a cobblestone pathway along a wall of more buildings. I instinctively twisted in midair and landed cleanly on my feet.

"What the…" I murmured. I had landed on the wall, but it now resembled a floor, such that my guild-mates were standing on what now resembled a wall, at the top of a sideways staircase. Then my intuition put the pieces together.

"Let me guess: whoever threw me just now had a hunch about this place's gravity?" I called up to my teammates. Erza started walking down the stairs.

"It was less of a hunch and more of a targeted guess. If I was correct, it would explain how we needed to proceed. If not, it would be an excellent test of quick thinking." She replied succinctly, stepping onto the perpendicular path with ease. Judging by how I felt in that moment, I must have looked visibly impressed.

"Wow… well played, Titania. That was highly insightful of you." I admired, teasingly addressing the redhead by her nickname. Erza rolled her eyes.

"Deduction, not insight," she corrected. "I may seem skilled at detecting patterns, but in truth I simply keep my thinking ahead of the situation." I chuckled.

"Again, well played," I repeated, turning to our teammates and calling out to them. "C'mon guys! What are you waiting for?" The three of them filed down after us, cautiously stepping from one pathway to the next. Soon, the five of us all stood together again.

"So… whadda we do now?" Natsu wondered out loud.

"Just follow your nose!" I cheerily reminded him.

"…UGW KBM YCIWIQ YRMBX EVOI KMFQA!" A three-part harmony of high pitched voices answered from everywhere. We all looked around in alarm, but saw nothing.

"Wh-what the heck was that?" Happy yelped, clearly freaked out to no end. I concentrated on comforting him with my reply.

"It was probably just Bill's attempt to freak us out. Most demons think sentient creatures, like humans and Exceeds, are funny when they act openly distressed." I clarified gently, leading to Happy sighing in relief. Natsu scratched the back of us head.

"Uh, Nikk? About following my nose…?" Natsu began a bit hesitantly, but Erza cut him off.

"He can't. The Mindscape smells like Bill, remember?" I bit back a curse. Yes, Natsu _had_ said that, but it never occurred to me until just now that our job would be affected. Now that we were actually _in_ the Mindscape, we had lost our only way of tracking Bill.

"Oh, right… Hmm, give me a sec." I replied, knowing that my guild-mates were now relying on my experience with demons and the Mindscape. It was now my place to step up and help my friends dynamically. So I carefully started thinking through the situation, but the more I did the more problems I began to see. It dawned on me that we might not be able to stop Bill's antics. Without Natsu's ability to smell Bill out, we would have no way of tracking the demon down. Besides, even if we found a way to keep tracking Bill, we might not be able to do much once we found him. If the cause of the recent earthquakes amounted to Bill "playing" with his powers, stopping them would involve destroying him. And considering that he had enough power to manifest the realm of the Mindscape somewhere else other than the human mind, doing so was a tall order for _any_ mortal wizard.

'Lord… I am in need of Your guidance.' I silently prayed, opening my mind to His wisdom. After another two minutes or so, I had a plan.

"Okay. Natsu, fly up into the air with Happy and find the best vantage point for smelling things from a distance. If all you smell is more Madness Aeon, it means that Bill's magic caused the mayhem up in Crocus. And without any way to track him down, stopping him is a lost cause." I decided, pointing to the Dragon Slayer as I mentioned him. Natsu nodded, then had Happy climb on his back and fly into the air with Aera.

"So… Natsu should be able to smell anything we can do something about?" Lucy ventured in a tone of voice that implicitly added, "Is that what you're saying?" I nodded.

"Mmhm. That's the idea." I confirmed succinctly. Erza put in her own two bits after a count of three: "It's a better plan than wandering aimlessly or giving up hope."

As we watched, Natsu flew high into the air, inasmuch that Happy could manage while negotiating the bizarre gravity field of our surroundings. Once they found the best spot, Natsu started to sniff the air… and immediately slapped his hands over his nose, as if an insect had flown up one of his nostrils. Happy promptly flew back down.

"Gross…" Natsu muttered, and then addressed us. "Bill's up to somethin' alright. Something in here smells like brimstone and mold." I'll admit it: that time I retched openly from disgust. I probably would have vomited if my stomach were any weaker.

"Once again, I feel _so_ sorry for your nose, Natsu. But… are you able to track that other smell? You didn't notice it before, so…" I trailed off, expecting Natsu to get the drift of what I was saying. I'm not really sure if he did, but he nodded.

"Yeah. It's easier to track a scent when I know what to smell for." The Dragon Slayer clarified. Once he finished, Erza stepped forward again.

"Alright. Let's be on our way, then." She ordered. Natsu nodded, then sniffed the air and ran towards a terrace ending in a balcony and a trapdoor.

"Right," I echoed, joining my teammates in following Natsu's lead once again. Then, as another idea came to mind, I called out to the pinkette's feline nakama. "Oh, and Happy? Whenever you can, fly above our path and help Natsu navigate. I have a hunch this place is about to get even more confusing."

"Aye sir!" Happy chirped then continued flying after Natsu. And so our mission continued.

* * *

That place _definitely_ got more confusing. For one thing, our surroundings were a lot more maze-like than the labyrinth we had entered through. Despite its chaotic construction and circumferential gravity, our pathways actually remained consistent in the space they occupied. Natsu simply had to lead us in whichever direction the scent grew strongest. Frequently, however, none of our available routes led us straight in that direction, forcing us to plan our path in advance. Natsu whined about just climbing over the buildings, but Erza insisted that our surroundings were too unpredictable to risk it. For all we knew, the buildings would come alive and try to eat us if we tried that. So, we adopted an approach that bored him horribly despite its effectiveness: Happy would fly Lucy up into the air, where she would draw out our available paths for us to solve as a maze, based on which direction we needed to go.

On top of that, monsters started showing up. Describing their appearances would be pointless, due to their redundant weirdness. Suffice to say, each manifested as an eldritch abomination with some affinity to some random Aeon, from Age to Zeal. Between the five of us (excluding the non-combative Happy), only a few of the monsters we faced survived for more than a few minutes. Still, it assuaged some of our residual boredom and allowed everyone else to see my magic in action.

True to her downplayed fan-girl view of me, Lucy found my magic almost enthralling. Natsu reacted with debatably less excitement, but he still got all starry-eyed and insisted we fight each other sometime soon. Erza and Gray kept any excitement they felt contained, and neither seemed openly impressed. Still, Gray gave me kudos at one point.

"Wow. I gotta give you credit, Nikk. I'm not sure you could've done justice to describing your magic. It's not the most powerful I've ever seen by a long-shot. But it's not much like anything else I've seen before, either." Gray commented after one of our more protracted battles. I shrugged.

"Hey. That's what happens when your magic energy comes straight from God instead of Aeons." I replied with a bit of a smirk. I didn't exactly feel smug at that moment, so much as I felt accomplished. Like I said, I was never one to take compliments lightly. After that exchange, we walked on, adamantly following the stench of Bill's scheme. Between our assorted periods of combat and navigation, we all got several tastes of one another's magic and quirks. Lucy's Celestial Spirit Magic left me rather impressed, in that it called down a lot of power and versatility through her spirits. The fact that she formed a friendship with each of them cemented their strength and reliability that much more. With sufficient training and a large enough collection of Zodiac Keys, Lucy had the potential to become _extremely_ powerful. Gray's Ice-Maker magic reminded me a lot of my own Arc of Creation, only less complicated and more straightforward. Minus his inability to utilize energy-based spells like Laser and Burst, his magic almost seemed like a better version of mine.

Truthfully, however, Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer magic amazed me more than anything. He fought with a frightening degree of strength and ferocity, yet he always retained a discernible level of humanity, as well as an attitude of destructive glee. Part of me felt somewhat fearful towards the idea of fighting him, if I'm completely honest. As for Erza… well, my admiration and suppressed infatuation towards the redhead had not changed. If anything, they only grew the more I witnessed the grace and skill with which she fought.

Aside from that, more of my team's crazy antics ensued, and were even exacerbated in many ways. Lucy's sexual dignity was insulted multiple times by our surroundings, in a variety of ways ranging from disembodied voices to aroused monsters. Natsu and Gray still couldn't quit bickering, and I could've sworn I heard Bill's voice egging them on. Even Erza seemed perturbed, and I thought I heard voices whispering to her at one point. As for me, whatever curse Bill had laid on me began to worsen. More and more often, I nearly gave into the urge to shut up Natsu and Gray, and I found it progressively harder to ignore how miserable I felt. I knew Bill was trying to get to me, but still… this sucked.

I was jolted back to reality when Erza almost fell. As we crossed a long, narrow walkway that spanned from one "wall" to another, she missed a step. My nakama probably could've survived the fall and made it back to us alone, but she was right in front of me when it happened. And considering how wired I felt from holding my self-control together, I reacted pretty quickly. The moment I heard her foot scrape against the ledge and saw her lose balance, my brain pounced on the sensations and activated my finely-tuned quick thinking. Before Erza had the chance to cry out in alarm, I lunged out and grabbed her hand. With my other hand, I simultaneously conjured and grabbed the first thing that popped into my head: a door handle. I held it in place telekinetically to make sure we didn't both fall. It was tricky, but the years I had spent training my mind made it possible.

"I gotcha…" I muttered, carefully pulling the redhead upright while also taking care to not throw myself off balance.

"Nice catch…" she acknowledged as I let the handle dissipate. Despite the frankness in her voice, I noticed a hint of gratitude flickering dimly in her gaze like a candle flame. I allowed myself a smile.

"No problem."

* * *

After several more hours of walking, talking, fighting and navigating, Natsu got a big grin on his face. We were midway through climbing a staircase at least half a mile long.

"He's right up there!" the Dragon Slayer cheered, then raced up the steps like a charging bull.

"Natsu!" Erza barked, but I was way ahead of her. Before Natsu had taken six steps, I conjured a temporary wall right in front of Natsu's face, at a distance sufficient for the Dragon Slayer to plow into it before he could react. Letting the wall vanish once Natsu started to fall back down, I caught him by the wrists with chains and moved them telekinetically to turn him around once his fall broke. Finally, I stomped up to the pinkette and grabbed him by the face, forcing him to look at me. Between my impatience with Natsu and the ongoing regression of my self-control, I was _pissed_.

"Are you _insane_ , Natsu?! Or have you forgotten that we're dealing with the Arch-demon of Madness!? Even in the Mindscape, calling Bill Cipher a formidable threat would be a huge understatement. Charging up there without a plan is _suicide_ , you doofus!" I hissed. But before I could scold Natsu anymore, I felt a metal hand smack me in the back of the head… _hard_. Hard enough for my concentration to break, leading to the chains around Natsu's wrists disappearing. The surprising jolt of pain also snapped me out of my anger, which allowed me to remember myself and get a grip. I turned to see Natsu brushing himself off and Erza regarding me with a cold yet expectant look. I legitimately expected her to say something to the effect of, "Are you done being stupid, or do I need to hit you again?" But when the redhead remained silent, I rubbed the back of my head and chuckled uneasily.

"Uh… thanks, Erza. I needed that," I admitted, feeling like a total moron for letting my temper get the best of me… _again_. Then I looked at Natsu and added, "Sorry, Natsu. That was uncalled for." Surprisingly, the fire wizard shrugged it off.

"S'okay, Nikk. Normally, I would punch your lights out for that, but… this place has gotten to you too, hasn't it?" he guessed, to which my jaw dropped. It made sense that the Mindscape had weathered away at Natsu's will as well, but I had seen _no_ evidence of it thus far.

"Wait… it's been happening to you, too? I haven't noticed at all!" I exclaimed. My lack of insight wasn't what surprised me. No, I was shocked by the fact that Natsu had kept his change in behavior contained. That didn't seem like him, at all. Yet the troubled look on the Dragon Slayer's face cut off my incredulous retort before I could speak it.

"Yeah… let's just say I've been feelin' more… bloodthirsty than usual." He ventured. The uncertainty in his voice shocked me to the core, proving once again that these people had a lot more depth and vulnerability to their behavior than I had seen in a long time. I released my unease with a sigh.

"Alright. And yeah, I've been feeling a lot more anger and fear than I usually let on. How about we all agree to bear with each other until this mission is over with?" I suggested. Everyone else agreed to that… even Erza.

"Let's just make sure we don't let our guards down against Bill. I still expect everyone, including myself, to oppose this negative energy as best they can," Erza announced, looking at each of us until we agreed before moving on. "As for your original point Nikk, you're absolutely right. If we're going to defeat Bill, we will need a plan of attack. Ideally, one supported by information through reconnaissance." Once again, my redheaded nakama was in her element: a position of unspoken authority. I silently voiced my support with a smile and a nod.

"Indeed. And I have an idea for conducting recon," I affirmed, then took off my backpack and pulled out something I had taken the initiative in buying: a magically-enhanced pair of binoculars. I then passed them to Happy. "Happy, I believe you're the best person for the job." The Exceed gawked at me.

"Wait… you want _me_ to go up _there_?!" He squeaked, his voice teetering on the brink of panic. The poor cat had a look of utter amazement and complete terror plastered across his blue-furred face. I would have laughed if Bill's magic hadn't put me in such a sour mood.

"No silly. I want you to fly straight up until those binoculars give you a clear view of what's going on upstairs." I corrected him quickly, trying my best to make the former assumption sound ridiculous and dangerous. Happy took the binoculars and nodded, slowly at first then quickly and eagerly.

"Aye!" he chirped, flying straight into the air on the next beat. His flavor of enthusiasm struck me as familiar, and I soon recognized it in myself. Happy was excited to make himself useful to the people he cared about… like me.

* * *

After a few minutes, Happy flew back down and returned my binoculars to me. Natsu promptly spoke up.

"Well? What didja see, Happy?" He quickly asked his friend, making no effort to hide his haste. The Exceed gulped slightly, and then began spouting off his report with the agitation of a disturbed wasp nest.

"I saw Bill, and… and… he was doing some kind of ritual at this weird, arch-shaped alter thing with a glowing ouroboros symbol in it…" Happy trailed off briefly, clearly freaked out and trying to collect his thoughts. I waited for a count of five before addressing him, as gently as I could with my weakened self-control.

"Was Bill alone up there, Happy?" I prodded, not exactly impressed with how controlled I had kept my voice. But it was apparently enough to _slightly_ calm Happy down. Still, I could see him trembling slightly as he shook his head.

"N-no. There were two monsters with him. And one of them was definitely Cthulhu!" Happy stammered. That got everyone's attention right away.

"Oh great! Now we have to deal with _Cthulhu_ on top of everything else!" Lucy yelped. She hadn't said much to the rest of us during our job, but the reason for that was obvious based on the things she did say. Lucy was out of her element and most likely scared to death… and for good reason.

As I looked around at my teammates, I saw similar looks of fear and apprehension. Nobody looked ready to bolt or anything, but I could understand what they were probably thinking. I knew, because I could feel the same vibe stirring in my own heart.

'Bill has friends here? We never planned for that! What are we supposed to do now? How do we know if we stand a chance against _three_ Arch-demons? What if we don't?' I could almost feel those uncertainties weighing us down physically. And this time, I had no ideas about what we should do. So, naturally, I did the only thing I could. I got down on my knees and prayed, acting as if I were completely alone.

Father, I come before You again in quest of guidance. We are all afraid; confronting some of the most powerful beings to ever rebel against You. For the sake of my friends, if no one else, I pray for the reassurance only You can give. Give us a sign that You are with us, and that we have nothing to fear. I know Your ways, Lord, and have learned where to look for the things You promise are certain, such as your Love and Mercy. All I ask is for something to show my friends that same certainty, so we may move forward.

As I prayed, I heard everyone back off slightly, likely avoiding the magic circle I felt at my knees. Considering what had happened after my last Prayer, I didn't blame them. I was calling directly on God, after all. The idea of using Prayer magic had scared me at first, knowing how much power it called upon.

Once I had finished, I opened my eyes and saw with relief that the circle was gold. Help was on the way. And in the next moment, the Holy Spirit whispered the Prayer I would receive into my mind.

" **Tsūjiru…** " I echoed, feeling a warm rush of power surge from the magic circle, through my body, and out my mouth through the words I spoke. The circle then expanded slightly before breaking apart and swirling around us in a fog of multicolored light. As we looked, images started to emerge in the fog, as if they had been projected onto it: Bill gloating over us, the altar Happy described shattering, the five of us fighting the demons, etc. None of it really gave us a clear warning about future events, but the gist was clear: even if it started to look bad, we would come out on top. God had our backs on this one.

Once the spell dissipated, everyone appeared to have had their morale refreshed. I felt pleased by that, not having expected the **Guide** Prayer to reach their eyes. But I took that as a reminder that I could never know _everything_ about God. Pretty soon, we had all sat down to put together a plan.

* * *

The plan we settled on was simple and straightforward. Erza, Gray and Happy would handle Cthulhu (Happy would help Gray on the off-chance Cthulhu decided to spread his wings). I felt confident that I could handle Bill on my own, since I hadn't used up much of my magic thus far. Even if Bill beat me, I felt certain I could keep him busy long enough for my friends to prevail. Natsu and Lucy were assigned to the third Arch-demon, in light of Lucy's versatile Celestial Spirits and Natsu's strength and perseverance. All-in-all, Erza and I were both satisfied with our plan of attack. However, the redhead insisted we try our best to figure out _their_ plan as best we could before assaulting them. Natsu started to whine about how boring this mission had already been, but Erza's frighteningly stern glare banished any of his reluctance.

Sadly, our plan went wrong in less than a minute. Once we had started walking up the stairs, Bill Cipher materialized right in front of us.

"WELL WELL WELL… IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU KIDS SHOWED UP! MY PALS UPSTAIRS ARE RARING TO GO, AND NOTHING GETS A PARTY GOING QUITE LIKE A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE!" Bill intoned, idly tapping his cane against the ground. The stairs immediately lurched into motion, carrying us up the staircase like a conveyer belt. I had never seen anything like this before, but Bill seemed to get a kick out of it.

"HA HA! CHECK IT OUT: IT'S AN ESCALATOR! AHAHAHA! INSIDE JOKES, AM I RIGHT?" the demon sniggered, once again leering off into the middle distance. Natsu tensed like he was ready to leap forward and punch Bill in the eye, but Erza put a hand on his shoulder.

"Not yet." She whispered. Natsu reluctantly relaxed, and Bill looked back at us.

"AAANYWAY… I'M SURE YOU KIDS HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PLACE. AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM. BUT HERE'S THE CATCH: I GET TO PICK THE QUESTIONS!" he teased, floating in a circle around us and twirling his cane as the stairs moved along. As they rose higher, I began to notice a noise coming within earshot: a deep throbbing hum which soon caused the air around us to vibrate.

"FACT NUMBER ONE: AT THE TOP OF THESE STAIRS IS A WEAK POINT IN THE FABRIC OF REALITY. NOT A FULL-BLOWN PUNCTURE, BUT ENOUGH FOR THE WORLDS ON EACH SIDE TO INTERSECT; LIKE A VENN DIAGRAM. WHICH LEADS TO THE BEAUTIFUL CESSPOOL AROUND US THAT YOU CALL THE MINDSCAPE." The Arch-demon gestured grandly to our monochromatic surroundings… but they weren't monochromatic anymore. The further we rose, the more color began to return to our environment. The giant staircase was no longer surrounded by the architecture of the maze and now stretched up into the empty, sky-like vastness. Sadly, that expanse had begun to regain its own psychedelically garish colors, still swirling about in frenzy. The once subdued hum in the air had risen to a ground-shaking rumble.

"NOW, I BET YOU'RE WONDERING WHY I'M TELLING YOU KIDS THIS. WHY SHOULD I DIVULGE MY PLANS? WELL THERE'S NOT REALLY MUCH YOU _COULD DO_. AFTER ALL, THIS SPECK YOU CALL EARTH-LAND IS RIDDLED WITH FRAYING PATCHES OF REALITY LIKE THIS. SOONER OR LATER, ONE OF THEM WILL TEAR OPEN COMPLETELY. AND AFTER THAT… LET'S JUST SAY THE PARTY WILL NEVER STOP ONCE THAT HAPPENS," Bill taunted, glancing off into the distance once again. "THAT'S RIGHT HIRSCH FANBOYS, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE NEXT WEIRDMAGEDDON! CAN I GET A SQUEE, OR DO YOU STILL HAVE COMPLAINTS? 'CAUSE I'M GETTIN' ANNOYED BY YOUR LACK OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. IS IT REALLY THAT BAD, OR ARE YOU READERS JUST THAT…?" I had no clue what Bill had started rambling on about, or why he suddenly sounded exasperated. I felt more concerned about his more cohesive statements. Places like this, all over the world? The thought filled me with dread, especially when I considered the likelihood that one of those rifts would eventually tear open completely. Well, _that_ was something worth telling Jerry about.

"…SO I EXPECT SOME REVIEWS OUT OF YOU GUYS, BECAUSE I'LL BE RUNNING THE SHIP ONCE WEIRDMAGEDDON ROLLS AROUND. TRUST ME, YOU _WON'T_ WANNA MISS OUT ON THAT." Bill prattled, and then turned back to us again. "OKAY, NOW THAT I'VE BEFUDDLED YOU KIDS WITH MY MEDIUM AWARENESS, LET'S GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD!" Bill announced, just in time for us to reach the top of the stairs. Everything was now in full color again, and we stood at one edge of a huge, circular platform dominated in the center by a tall pavilion with four archways arranged in a square. Inside the pavilion, sure enough, was an altar enveloped by a swirling mass of ethereal snakes that persisted in eating one another.

Flanking the pavilion were beings I pegged as Arch-demons. The one to our left was Cthulhu: a hulking, ten-foot-tall giant with green amphibious skin; humanoid hands with sizable claws and odd webbing between their fingers; enormous, folded bat wings that matched his body size like those of a beetle; and a large head sporting baleful orange eyes and cuttlefish tentacles that hid his mouth like an overgrown beard. Excluding his head, Cthulhu looked an unnatural fusion between a human, a dragon and a frog.

The figure on the right couldn't have looked more surprising. Not only was his form completely human, but he was dressed in the most absurd outfit imaginable. He looked about twelve years old, with piercing green eyes and a mane of orange hair that reached down to his hips. On his head, he wore a crown that somehow doubled as a jester's hat and sported a spike on top, like a pith hat. From the waist up, the guy sported golden epaulets (with tassels that ran down his arms and connected to the wrists of his dinner gloves), a red robe with yellow trim, an enormous bow tie with the color scheme of a starry night sky, and a tie-dyed muscle shirt with enough colors to trigger a seizure. His outfit didn't get any less confusing from the waist down: black bell-bottom pants with flame patterns running along the seams, heliotrope jester shoes and a belt with a golden buckle shaped like a monstrous grinning face. Whoever the kid was, he immediately looked past us and waved.

"HEY READERS! WANNA SEE ME TURN MY FACE INSIDE OUT?!" the boy shouted, only for Cthulhu to swat him into the ground like a fly.

"COXEL, WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL?" Cthulhu growled, not at all amused by what had just unfolded. Both demons spoke with the same screaming inflection as Bill despite the varying volumes of their voices. Cthulhu removed his hand, and Coxel got back to his feet and brushed himself off. He acted like he had just been thrown by a horse.

"TO NOT TO…" he whined self-importantly. Bill rolled his eye.

"GUYS, C'MON; LET'S GET THIS DONE ALREADY."

Io hiavp hhfr e cxaqaxtelca joa kik vplfhf xo Yvbjxzx Oceh's jhuwgv hlhu xhn apox lyjse, Racgv, Jmvv dbq Qatoskz hzxzq fe cvf psa ekfri.

* * *

Aaaand that's it for now. Anyway, I hope this is an improvement from the last several chapters. Next time, the Dreamscapers Arc will reach its climax and we will get a glimpse of the greater-scope conflict that this FanFic will introduce.

Also, I would like to apologize for Bill shattering the fourth wall. Sadly, a demon of his caliber has just as much medium awareness as Deadpool. Since Arch-demons exist beyond time, they can survive through any manifestation of their consciousness. In Bill's case, I'm willing to bet he survived Take Back the Falls through his internet fandom. Ergo, part of Bill exists in the Internet. I just hope he doesn't actually succeed with Weirdmageddon, because that will make his fourth wall gimmick even worse. How? Four words: you don't wanna know.

But I do agree with him on one thing: PLEASE START REVIEWING. Bill may just want the attention, but I'm in it for the feedback. Trust me: I will start responding at the beginning of each chapter if that's the incentive you need. But I won't have any clue how good or bad I'm doing (or if and how I need to change) if you guys stay quiet. Because I seriously doubt everyone reading this story has _nothing_ to say. I'm not even asking for much: just speak up!

And now I have a job (finally), so I can actually start to keep a schedule! So expect more frequent updates from here on out.

Okay, that's it. Enjoy the story, and I'll see you next time!


	15. Chapter 13 - A Job Well-Done

Chapter 13 – A Job Well-Done

Two questions danced through my mind for the next few minutes. One, why hadn't the demons killed us yet? Two, why hadn't Natsu's motion sickness kicked in yet? For one thing, it wasn't like any demon to show this much tact. Normally, they skipped straight to either murder or torture when it came to directly interacting with humans. Regarding the second, I had to wonder, since everything was shaking like the pavilion had a ten-foot-tall jackhammer lodged through its roof.

Instead of opening with violence, Bill forced us all to sit down (by conjuring chairs that shoved our feet out from underneath us), and then took his own seat at a fancy, floating desk that fit his size perfectly. Whatever the reason for it, I knew it couldn't be good. I had once asked a demon if his kind ever did anything with humans that didn't involve violence. His reply: "If a demon doesn't do some sort of violence to a human, it's for a pretty damn good reason." Not surprisingly, Natsu broke the silence first.

"What the Hell is goin' on here? Why aren't we fighting? And why haven't I gotten sick from this place shakin'?" He complained, straining to get out of his chair, which held him down like it had been coated in glue. Cthulhu huffed, sitting down on a man-sized stool.

"WHAT YOU ARE EXPERIENCING HERE IS TEMPORAL DISTORTION, NATSU DRAGNEEL. WHAT YOU PERCIEVE AS SOUND AND MOTION AMOUNTS TO THE INSTABILITY OF TIME AND SPACE." The monster rumbled while completely ignoring Natsu's other questions. Bill chuckled.

"WELL SAID, OCTO-BEARD. NOW, LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS ALREADY." He concurred. Cthulhu's eyes angrily flashed with light.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!" The demon growled, but he sounded more annoyed than threatening. Bill ignored him.

"OKAY, LET ME GET ONE THING STRAIGHT WITH YOU KIDS. LOTS OF THINGS ARE GETTING STIRRED UP IN THE PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL WORLDS. AND BECAUSE I LIKE TOYING WITH YOU, I'M GONNA EXPLAIN WHY. NIKK, YOU KNOW ABOUT THE WAR BETWEEN ZENOSHA AND OUROBOROS, RIGHT? WELL, BASICALLY, A MAJOR BATTLE IN THAT WAR IS ON THE HORIZON. AND YOU KIDS ARE PART OF THE UNLUCKY GROUP OF HUMANS THE MAN UPSTAIRS CHOSE TO FIGHT FOR HIM. _BELIEVE_ ME: YOU _DON'T_ WANNA DEAL WITH THAT. I'M OFFERING A WAY OUT OF WHATEVER BUM DEAL THAT TYRANT HAS IN MIND." The demon began, talking with the same tone and inflection as a lawyer talking to their opponent's client: not exact friendly, but still civil and professional. Part of me thought Bill didn't really like talking that way, but the hunch seemed so subtle I wrote it off as my intuition playing tricks on me (for lack of a clearer metaphor).

My friends were silent, and when I looked they all seemed floored by Bill's words; especially Lucy. I rolled my eyes, not keen on letting this demon screw with my friends' heads.

For clarity's sake, I should explain something about how a demon lies. For the unprepared mind, a demon's lies sounded like a breath of fresh air in a foul atmosphere of uncertainty. However, a more experienced mind (like that of every fully-educated Celestial Guardian) couldn't be fooled as easily. To summarize several months of education on the subject, demons used deception as their tertiary weapon of choice, right after magic and physical prowess. If the art of deception could be represented by combat, demons amounted to military-grade assassins that wielded a vast arsenal of fallacies as weapons, through the use of mentalism and expert persuasion as combat proficiency and physical fitness respectively. In context, this meant that any one of our demonic foes could easily deceive my friends in a way that involved murdering their resolve with ruthless efficiency. Thankfully, my family had thoroughly taught me how to overcome this kind of deception. The best way to beat a demon's lies was the equivalent of toppling a building by blowing up its foundation. In other words, one had to disprove the faulty assumptions that their lies were based on. Case in point, I replied to Bill's deception like so.

"Okay Bill. What's your point? More specifically, what does that have to do with us? God does not let humans control any more of the world's destiny than what is allotted to their life. That's like playing dice with the universe. If God plans to put us through that, what can we do? He won't put us through anything we can't handle." I retorted, shedding some much-needed light on the duplicity of his words. Bill sighed.

"SHARP AS EVER, AUGUSTINE. OF COURSE _YOU_ OF ALL PEOPLE WOULD BELIEVE THAT, CONSIDERING HOW YOU WERE RAISED. BUT YOUR GUILD-MATES BELIEVE IN MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE… LIKE US." Bill countered, gesturing to himself and conjuring a symbol on his body beneath his bow-tie: the ouroboros symbol. Cthulhu and Coxel revealed the same symbol on their bodies: the former just below his neck behind his beard, and the latter circling his belly-button.

"Guys, don't listen to him. Demons are thieves and liars." I warned them, not wanting to leave this to chance. Stubborn as they were, I didn't think my guild-mates had it in them to resist Bill's lies.

"ARE WE, AUGUSTINE? I'LL ADMIT: LOTS OF THE MOOKS THAT WORK FOR US LOVE TO USE HUMANS AS TOYS. BUT YOU KNOW FIRST HAND THAT NOT EVERYTHING IS AS EVIL AS IT SEEMS. JUST LOOK AT ZEREF!" Bill retorted, earning a gasp from everyone but Erza and I. I hadn't told them about Zeref performing magical surgery on me; that wasn't the kind of information I shared freely. I scoffed.

"That has nothing to do with trusting you, Bill. And you _know_ that." I snapped, taking care to match the emphasis he put on his words. Yielding any ground in an argument with a demon was a death-wish… sometimes even a literal one. Bill growled in frustration, the hue of his skin slowly acquiring more red.

"JEEZ… WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SUCH A STICKLER FOR OBJECTIVITY, AUGUST? HAVEN'T YOU EVER HEARD OF FLEXIBLE THINKING BEFORE? DO YOU AT LEAST GIVE YOUR FRIENDS THE CHANCE TO DECIDE THINGS FOR THEMSELVES?" Bill growled, actually growing a little accusatory as he spoke. I was about to wail into him about how I had changed my tune, but then I realized that Bill had set himself up for a trap.

"Yes, actually. In fact, I'm willing to do that now." I baited him, hoping he would rely on his ability to manipulate my friends. The red tinge left Bill's body.

"IS THAT SO? WELL, HOW ABOUT WE PUT THAT FAITH IN YOUR FRIENDS TO THE TEST?" Bill sneered, then rose from his desk and looked at my teammates.

"WHADDA YOU THINK, GUYS? THERE'S NO GOING BACK FROM THIS. ARE YOU GONNA TRUST THIS OVERZEALOUS SCRUB TO LEAD YOU INTO CERTAIN MISERY? OR WOULD YOU RATHER LEND AN EAR TO SOME EYE-WITNESSES WHO OFFER FREEDOM AND AUTONOMY?" The demon asked them, spreading his arms expressively. A flicker of doubt raced through my mind, and I looked around at my guild-mates pleadingly. I could no longer read their facial expressions with any degree of certainty, most likely due to how much my empathy had been eroded by then. But Erza set my mind at ease with what she did next. My nakama stood up and looked Bill straight in the eye.

"Bill, I don't care who you are, nor do I care what Nikk believes. But I do know that he is a true member of Fairy Tail. It only took me a few hours to be absolutely certain of his commitment to our guild. In spite of his recent admission, the strength of his heart speaks for itself," The redhead bravely proclaimed, then Requipped two swords into her grasp and leveled one of them at Bill. "His faults mean little when compared to the value of his identity as our friend and guild-mate. I speak for all of us when I say we would trust Nikk over any of your kind a thousand times over!" My other teammates took Erza's speech as a signal of initiative, because they all stood up one after the other.

"Yeah! I don't give a damn who or what you punks are, but we would never betray Nikk like that!" Natsu roared, setting both his fists ablaze. I stood up with the rest of them, feeling touched by how much they trusted me.

"Thanks guys…" I muttered, knowing that was an understatement but unable to articulate any further. Bill immediately turned red and flipped his desk so hard, it flew over our heads and exploded somewhere behind us.

"OKAY FINE! IF YOU IDIOTS WANNA DO THINGS _HIS WAY_ , WE MIGHT AS WELL MAKE SURE THAT WON'T BE A PROBLEM FOR US!" Bill growled, his hands bursting into flames and his pupil turning into a series of rapidly-changing alien letters. Cthulhu calmly got to his feet and Coxel eagerly jumped to his, spreading his fists wide.

"FINALLY!" He shouted with his voice in nearly-perfect synch with Natsu, who had incidentally said the exact same thing. From there, we all charged towards our planned opponents, weapons drawn (in Erza's and my case) and magic blazing.

* * *

From there, our surroundings dissolved into a mess of combat-fueled pandemonium. Most of my focus was centered on Bill, and our ongoing duel. The Arch-demon of Madness wielded a completely novel type of magic, the likes of which I doubted any human could possibly attain. I remember his spells involving telekinesis (strong enough to throw me across our battlefield), illusions, an odd form of summoning that resembled monsters delivering attacks through portals, and one of most dangerous arrays of combat magic I had ever seen. In short, Bill's offensive array of spells utilized fire, ice, darkness and sheer concussive force in a broad menagerie of attacks that focused on mayhem and destruction.

But in spite of his virtually unlimited command of magic, my battle against Bill Cipher did not seem futile to any extent in terms of my chances for victory. For the sake of perspective, the demon pressed my skills to the threshold of their limits whenever I focused all of my extra effort on one of my two combat arts (The Arc of Creation and Channeling). I consistently used both in tandem, but I had well-practiced control over how much effort I put into wielding each. That being said, Bill only posed a nominal challenge whenever I put my fullest effort into using both arts.

The reason that Bill didn't completely overpower me stuck out like a sore thumb: he had no plan of attack. It seemed like he was focusing on what happened within the next ten seconds, and came up with unpredictable but easily opposed attack plans on the fly. It allowed me to plan ahead effectively without having to concentrate on thwarting any long-term strategies… considering that he didn't use any. I chalked it up to the fact that Bill probably had zero experience fighting in the third dimension.

Meanwhile, I noticed the battles going on around me in short snippets, which I only made sense of later on. The tussle between Coxel, Natsu and Lucy commanded a lot of attention by merit of its noise and clamor. While Lucy contributed as best as she could (summoning Taurus, Virgo and Cancer throughout the battle), Natsu did most of the heavy lifting in fighting Coxel. I figured out Coxel's power from the few brief glances I managed: he could shape-shift into the most absurd of forms, and seemed keen on using his entire body as a weapon (sometimes literally). But I judged most of the things from their battle based on what I heard. To wit: Natsu and Coxel both took turns telling the other to shut up throughout the battle. From Coxel's boasting, I learned that he was the Arch-demon of Ecstasy (which encompassed every abuse of happiness from drug-induced highs to just having too much fun). He also made it abundantly clear that he enjoyed inflicting misery and agony just for kicks and giggles. And between each of their battle cries and the directions their conversation went, I could safely judge that Coxel was losing by somehow having even less tact than Natsu, not to mention the disadvantages he had in fighting Lucy's spirits as well.

I had to get more looks at Erza and Gray to judge their progress in taking down Cthulhu. I never really got a good look at how the Arch-demon of Hatred fought, but it sounded like something affiliated with his monstrous form. Still, I saw enough to know that he was losing, and why. For want of better detail, Cthulhu was bigger and clumsier than his opponents, making it too easy for them to dodge his attacks. Moreover, his skin seemed vulnerable to blade-based attacks, despite showing the ability to regenerate at a visibly high rate.

So, after fifteen to twenty minutes of wearing them all down, the five of us brought our opponents together and started to defeat them as one. But we didn't get far in doing so before a _massive_ voice interrupted us.

" **ENOUGH**!" It boomed, throwing _everyone_ off of their feet, including Bill. As we all turned to the pavilion where the voice had originated, a being emerged from the mass of ethereal energy it housed, as though from behind an opaque curtain of steam. And I mean no exaggeration when I say that he was the most beauteous creature I had ever seen. His hair was a hue of blonde resembling pure melted gold, and it danced as if from a gentle breeze. His skin and face were absolutely pristine, describing a level of perfection I immediately associated with an Adonis. His eyes changed color every few seconds, from gold to green to blue to violet and so on. The emotions they betrayed changed just as frequently, always seeming to adapt according to what I found most trustworthy. The being was dressed in pure white robes with gold trim, whose fabric sported a rainbow of gemstones: ruby, emerald, sapphire, aquamarine, amethyst, opal, etc. But his other physical traits struck me as absolutely bizarre. On one hand, his face and body were enveloped by a glowing nimbus of light; similar to the pictures of saints and angels I had seen. On the other hand, a pair of sharp horns thrust forward from his temples, along with a barbed tail flicking about in agitation behind him. That and his robes betrayed that he had the legs of a goat. On top of that contrast in appearance, three completely different pairs of wings sprouted from his back (all of which proportioned to suit his body): one pair of white-feathered eagle wings, another pair of sharp black bat wings, and a third pair that amounted to nothing more than the bones of some type of bird that still behaved as if part of a living wing. Finally, and most bizarrely, the being sported roughly two-dozen arms, all of which assumed a position reminiscent of either meditation or prayer.

In spite of his bizarre appearance, this being still struck me as beautiful… unnaturally so. In fact, he commanded so much attention that I intuitively knew everyone including me had their eyes on him. And it didn't take me long to figure out why.

"Satan…" I snarled, thereby giving voice to the righteous anger I felt burning within me through the Holy Spirit. The Arch-demon laughed, his voice at a more human volume, but otherwise unchanged. It had the deep, powerful resonance of thunder yet otherwise sounded as perfect and soothing as a well-played cello.

"Please, call me Anhkseram. That name does greater justice to the nature of my existence." The Devil purred, glancing at the other Arch-demons in the room, who were currently on the ground like dead men. They looked up at him when his gaze fell on them.

"BOSS! WH-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Bill stuttered, for once conveying some emotion free of condescension.

"Bill, my full attention is directed elsewhere. Lord Ouroboros allows me to divide my consciousness for the sake of getting more things done. Here and now, I am here to finish the job you clearly cannot." Satan snapped, clearly vexed by Bill's failure to defeat us.

"B-BUT SIR…" Bill tried, blatantly ill at ease with the idea of answering to a superior in the context of failure. I _think_ he might've been trying to justify himself, but the Arch-demon of Sin never gave him the chance.

" **SILENCE**!" The Devil boomed, once again in his enormous, commanding voice. One of his hands clenched into a fist, and Bill turned orange and curled into a fetal position.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Bill wailed in a new voice, one strangled in agony. His body seemed like it had suddenly been force to collapse in on itself. But the Daemon Sultan released Bill after maybe one second of that torment, and then addressed his underling.

"YOU WILL BE SILENT WHILE I HANDLE THESE HUMANS. AND YOU WILL **NOT** FAIL ME AGAIN!" He demanded, inciting Bill to actually salute.

"SIR, NO SIR!" Bill concurred, and then joined his fellow demons in cowering in fear of their leader. Satan returned his unnatural gaze to us.

"Now where were we…?" he mused, then flicked two more of his hands toward us. Everyone but me immediately fell on their faces, and promptly forced to stay there by swords appearing over their backs.

"Leave them alone!" I shouted, but I heard my voice crack in despair. Who was I to command a being of such primordial evil? He must have thought similarly, because the Devil laughed.

"Your lack of confidence amuses me, Nikku. How pitiful, that such a devoted follow of Zenosha would fall short at such a crucial juncture. Why do you suppose your God placed you in this position, child? Does he not realize how weak you are, deep down? How much you struggle beneath the work he has laid before you? How insignificant you are in the face of such formidable beings such as us?" he cajoled, playing my fears and doubts like a lute. As I wrestled with those same questions in my mind, I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me, reminding me of the answers. All at once, I felt my weakness drain away like water in the aftermath of a tidal wave. I may have been weak, but God knew that all too well. Thanks to His time on earth as His Son Iesu, He understood me all the more intimately. And through His sacrifice and the provision of the Holy Spirit, my weakness made room for His strength.

"I cannot, Evil One. But Zenosha, my Lord and my God, can and does through His Son, Iesu. In His Holy name, I order you to begone!" I spoke from the depths of my heart, thrusting out my hand and calling down His Will for the abomination before me. " **DIZORUBU**!"

Immediately, a blindingly white magic circle flared to life beneath the pavilion, and engulfed both the building and the Devil in a torrent of white light that lasted about five seconds.

"NO! DAMN YOU, ZENOSHA!" The Arch-Demon wailed, his form shifting and contorting into a more and more hideous state before finally rending itself apart. The ethereal ouroboros snakes had vanished completely, and the Aeon of Madness around us had waned. Even the omnipresent trembling of our surrounds was no more.

"BOSS!" Bill yelped in alarm.

"Silence, Cipher! I can no longer manifest within the Mindscape, thanks to that almighty blowhard. But our original directive is complete. Return to our realm within five mortal minutes…" His voice ordered succinctly. Bill nodded, and then pointed at Cthulhu and Coxel.

"YOU GUYS GO ON AHEAD. I STILL HAVE A FEW CHOICE WORDS FOR THESE KIDS." Bill waved them off. Cthulhu immediately obeyed, and stepped through the fabric of reality as if brushing aside a large curtain. Coxel, however, had complaints.

"AW, C'MON BILL! HOW COME YOU GET TO…" his whining was cut off by an upside-down bed of nails falling on top of him.

"SHUT UP AND DO AS YOU'RE TOLD, YA SPAZ! IF THE BOSS DOESN'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO EXCUSES THEN NIETHER DO I!" Bill ordered, clearly fed up with all he had endured. Coxel sighed.

"FINE. I'LL SEE YA BACK HOME…" The boy relented and then the bed burst into flames and crumbled away into nothing, along with the Arch-demon it had impaled. Finally, Bill turned to face us.

"YA KNOW I'M IMPRESSED WITH YOU KIDS. YOU'RE A LOT MORE CLEVER THAN YOU LOOK. ESPECIALLY THE PINKETTE." Bill grudgingly admitted, straightening his hat.

"Hey!" Natsu spat indignantly.

"SO I GUESS I DON'T REALLY HAVE MUCH TO LOSE BY LETTING YOU GO LIKE THIS. WE FINISHED OUR ITINERARY HERE, AND YOU KIDS MIGHT COME IN HANDY LATER." He muttered.

" **BUT KNOW THIS** ," he quickly interjected, his voice dropping several octaves. "A DARKNESS APPROACHES. YOU KIDS HAVE GOT A LOT OF SHIT COMING YOUR WAY, AND BY THE TIME IT HITS THE FAN EVERYTHING YOU CARE ABOUT WILL HAVE CHANGED! FOR EXAMPLE: AUGUSTINE! YOU'RE GONNA WIND UP DEAD SOONER THAN LATER!" That sentence hit me like a punch in the stomach, but Bill tipped his hat in a goodbye gesture, as if he had mentioned an appointment he had.

"UNTIL THEN, I'LL BE WATCHING YOU," the demon concluded mockingly, then began glowing gold and struck a pose with his arms spread. His form was then encircled by a cyan ring reminiscent of a zodiac, with strange symbols and a bright light circling it rapidly.

"I'LL BE WATCHING YOOOOU…" Bill repeated in an ominously teasing voice. The light picked up a blinding amount of speed, and in the next instant Bill blinked out of existence.

Our surroundings had changed as well. We now stood in what looked like the ruined altar of an ancient temple, with only the floor, stairs and pavilion remaining unchanged. Oddly enough, the chamber sported an enormous hole where the roof should have been… one leading straight to the outside world. It couldn't have been more than ten feet over our heads.

"Alright, we did it!" Natsu cheered with an energetic fist pump.

"Yeah-ha! Go us!" Lucy agreed, echoing the Salamander's enthusiasm. I smiled wryly.

"Indeed. Now, let's get out of here and report back to Jerry." I remarked, then brought forth my **Aera** wings and flew straight up the hole.

* * *

Jerry met us on the outskirts of town, backed by a legion of Rune Knights and men who wore suits and carried some strange, sleek-looking handguns.

"Nikku, what in the blazes happened?! We picked up an obscene surge of power a half-mile in the direction you just came from! We thought Bill had started to break through!" Jerry spluttered, though this time he sounded agitated instead of nervous. I chuckled a bit.

"Well Jerry… That was probably the Devil." I replied flatly. Jerry reacted like I had mentioned ten thousand vegetables.

"Wh-what?" he demanded. He promptly brought us back to our suite and had us explain everything to him. Once we had all finished explaining what had happened, Jerry only had one question.

"Are you certain that you encountered _the_ Devil?" Jerry asked, sounding somewhat skeptical but not in denial of the possibility.

"Yes." Erza and I said at the same time. After a brief awkward pause, I allowed Erza to explain. "That demon radiated the same malevolent presence I felt from Ouroboros in my dream. And everyone but Nikk was putty in his hands." She explained.

"…which lines up with several things that are said about the Devil in the Bible. In summation, he cannot directly exert his power on anyone committed to God through Iesu." I finished. We had briefly discussed the matter during our walk back to Crocus, so we already knew the answer to that question. Jerry seemed satisfied by that information and departed soon afterward, leaving our payment behind. Considering that it was now late in the afternoon, we all deigned to spend another night at the suite and leave for Magnolia early the next morning. So we went to the station and ordered our tickets, stopped along the way to have an early dinner (we were all starving despite eating the food we brought to the Mindscape), and on Erza's suggestion stopped to get a few bottles of sake for celebration purposes.

"Do you guys always drink after a successful mission?" I asked a little nervously on the way back to our suite.

"Nah… just when awesome stuff happens, like beating three super-powered demons." Gray corrected. "Why do you ask?"

"N-no reason…" I managed, with my self-control still not up to muster. It felt like I had lost years' worth of the progress I made in honing it. Thankfully, my capacity for empathy had started to return, albeit slowly.

"Why Nikk, you sound nervous. Can you not hold your liquor?" Erza asked, with a slight teasing drawl to her voice. I shook my head.

"Not exactly…" I said slowly. "Well, it's true that I can't drink any more than it takes to get me drunk before I wind up vomiting. But I'm honestly more concerned about getting drunk. Meaning, I want to avoid it." Natsu scowled a bit.

"Aw c'mon man! I think most booze tastes awful, but getting drunk sounds fun! What happened to you tryin' to loosen up?" Natsu complained. I glared at him more harshly than I meant to, because he flinched beneath my gaze.

"You wouldn't like me without my inhibitions." I warned him, intentionally speaking in a dark tone that time. I wanted him to know I _really_ meant that, because I did. Erza nudged me with her elbow and gave me a withering look of her own.

"Then drink responsibly. But don't expect us to let you bow out of spending time with us. We're still your friends, Nikk." Erza firmly stated, as if reminding me of the promise I had made her. I smiled affirmatively.

"Of course, Erza. I'm part of your team, so that goes without saying. But when I stop drinking, know that I'm just avoiding drunkenness." I reiterated. My nakama's face softened, and she nodded.

"Fair enough."

* * *

The night got weird from there. At first, it started out normally, with the three of us talking, laughing, drinking and playing almost a dozen hands of rummy (no pun intended). Lucy taught it to us, claiming that it was one of the most fun card games ever. After three hands, I told her that I agreed. I drank sparingly, along with Natsu and Gray. Apparently, Natsu hated the aftertaste more than anything, and Gray, like me, didn't trust himself while drunk. Lucy and Erza, however, seemed to have no such qualms… which started to worry me after one bottle of sake and a dozen hands of rummy.

I honestly wasn't worried about us drinking when we had a train to catch tomorrow morning at seven. Natsu, Gray and I resolved to not get drunk and bear the responsibility of getting everyone out of bed. I even had an Archive Spell handy for things like this: **Timer**. The spell was basically an alarm clock, and I found it easy to learn despite knowing nothing else about Archive Magic. No, I was more worried about what Lucy and Erza would do once they got drunk enough.

"This is boriiiing… can we do something else…?" Lucy slurred, her sharp soprano voice taking on a vaguely whiny inflection, a little like a cat meowing when it wanted something. I sighed, having hit my limit of two full glasses.

"Yeah, alright. We've still got time before we need to hit the sack." I agreed. Gray and Natsu, not surprisingly, were eyeing Erza warily. It made perfect sense: so far, the redhead seemed to act far more irritably while intoxicated. But I would soon become acquainted with a side of her personality that her sober mind must have kept in a proverbial straitjacket.

"You're right Lucy! We need to spice things up a bit!" Erza proclaimed with some slurring of her own then grabbed the empty bottle of sake, set it on its side, and opened the second one we had bought.

"I propose we play Truth or Dare." She decided with a mischievous grin.

"Yaaay!" Lucy cheered, clapping her hands in excitement.

"That sounds awesome! Count me in." I agreed. In hindsight, playing Truth or Dare with two drunk women _probably_ wasn't a good idea on my part. But I had heard of the game before, and I had always wanted to play, since I had a _huge_ array of ideas for dares. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to put my creativity to work. Natsu and Gray, by contrast, seemed terrified; so terrified that they were actually hugging each other.

"No way!" Natsu yelped.

"Nikk, are you crazy?!" Gray yelled in panic. I scowled.

"No. But you two sure are rude. I mean c'mon, we're all friends here. What's the worst that could happen?" I urged them, not keen on letting them get away with bowing out when Erza scolded me about not doing so. Natsu shook his head.

"You don't wanna know, man." He responded fearfully. Before I could wonder if he was actually serious, Erza got in their face with a look of death.

"You're both a member of this team. We're playing it together." She growled, confirming my suspicion that Erza wouldn't let anyone avoid participation. Natsu and Gray reluctantly agreed to play after that. Then I had my first evil idea of the night.

"I have an idea. If a person doesn't like the truth nor the dare they're given, they can refuse… but they have to chug a whole glass of sake and let whoever picks them next choose truth or dare for them." I suggested with a devious smirk. Erza laughed and slapped me on the back.

"I like the way you think Nikk. How do we keep track of who has lost the right to choose on their next turn?" Erza concurred. I thought for a second, and then it came to me.

"They'll put their empty glass out in front of them, upside down." I decided.

"Great, then let's play!" Lucy chirped, giving the empty bottle a spin. Natsu and Gray gave me a horrified look. If looks could speak, theirs would have said, "What have you done? You've doomed us all!"

* * *

It didn't take long for me to realize why Natsu and Gray looked so fearful. We let Lucy go first since she spun the bottle, and it landed on me.

"Alright Nikk-chan. Truth or dare?" she asked in a teasing, sing-song voice.

"Dare." I decided, feeling brave enough to risk it and hopefully use my turn to try out one of my dares. Lucy took a moment to think, hemming and hawing a bit before she decided.

"Conjure a tube of lipstick and use it on yourself. Oh, and you're not allowed to wipe it off!" She dared me, giggling like a little girl. I laughed a little myself, and did as she asked. At first I put it on normally, but then had a better idea and drew a big smile on my face that lined up with my mouth.

"Dude, are you serious? You look like a freak." Gray snarked. I laughed, loving how I could cut loose and be myself for a change.

"What? Is it wrong for me to get into this," I protested, then after spinning the bottle added, "You better hope I don't get you." Good news for Gray: the bottle landed on Erza. But I had yet to realize how that would be bad news for everyone including myself.

"Alright, Er-chan. Truth or dare?" I asked, wondering if anyone else would pick up on using casual honorifics.

"Dare, and make it good." Erza adamantly chose. I grinned wickedly, hardly knowing which of my ideas to try out first. Finally, I permanently conjured an egg, deciding to start small.

"Crack this egg, and dump the yolk and white onto your head." I dared, to which Natsu burst out laughing. Erza remain calm, taking the egg and performing the dare with such a stoic expression that Lucy and I started laughing too. I thought I heard Gray stifling laughter of his own, but I saw him keeping a straight face. We couldn't stop laughing until Erza crushed the unbroken yolk-sac on her head, which in turn made us laugh for even longer. Finally, once we could all control ourselves enough to keep our eyes open, Erza spun the bottle. She did it pretty hard, too. It took a good fifteen seconds before the bottle stopped on Lucy.

"Lucy, truth or dare?" Erza demanded.

"Dare… te he." Lucy picked. Erza thought for a moment and made her decision.

"I dare you to moon the boys." She dared. If there had been liquor in my mouth, I would have done a spit-take. Lucy seemed equally shocked, but Gray and Natsu just looked exasperated. No wonder they feared this game: Erza was absolutely ruthless. Lucy was still clearly drunk, but she shook her head.

"Nooo way, Erza." She griped, filling her cup, gulping it down hastily and putting it in front of her, upside-down. Erza spun the bottle again. This had to end, _fast_. The bottle pointed to me.

"Nikku-kun… truth or dare?" Erza asked in a tone I could've sworn was coy, but hardly dared to entertain the thought.

"Dare." I blurted, seeing how much my rule had screwed us over. If Erza took enough turns, we would all wind up drunk enough to go through with her insane dares… unless her truths were that bad.

"Hmmm… I dare you to remove your jacket and tie your gi around your head like a bonnet." She ordered. I felt a little surprised by her change of pace, but not by much. This was going to look pretty stupid. Still, I went through with it, hoping to use my turns to hold back Erza's chaotic tendencies. Once I had discarded my jacket and tied my gi around my head (a look which made Natsu snigger), I figured out why Erza had done that. She and Lucy were now studying my torso like a well-carved sculpture. I ignored them and spun the bottle, focusing on the mission I had given myself. I had to protect Natsu and Gray from Erza, even if my libido already felt like a dog getting scratched behind the ears. Thankfully, the bottle landed on Natsu.

"Okay, Natsu. Truth or dare?" I asked, hoping that he knew how sane I intended to keep this game.

"Truth! Truth!" He yelped, leading to a sigh of relief from me. 'Good, he does…' I thought for a moment.

"Where did you get that scarf? It's actually pretty cool-looking." I asked, not able to come up with anything else. Natsu chuckled.

"It was a gift from Igneel. In fact, it's one of the only things I have to remember him by." He admitted, which explained pretty much everything I wanted to know. No wonder he never took it off: it was his only memento from his surrogate father. I felt similarly towards wielding my father's sword: it was all I had left to give me some connection to my family, apart from my customs and culture.

The game went on like that for several more hours. It was a struggle of order vs. chaos, with me representing the former and Erza representing the latter. The next time Erza asked for a dare from me, I told her that she had to take off any clothing she dared anyone else to remove from that point on. To my surprise, she actually relented… and then dared Lucy to whip Natsu's back with her own shirt! Lucy got Natsu after that, and dared him to slap Erza in the face. Despite the evil look the redhead shot him, Natsu took it as a challenge and slapped her hard enough to leave an angry red mark on her face. The Dragon Slayer's confidence only grew when the bottle landed on Gray and he dared him to dump a bowl of gelatin down his pants (which I obliged by conjuring). Sadly, the bottle landed on Erza when Gray spun it, and when the redhead predictably picked a dare, Gray told her to go ahead and get revenge on Natsu. She did, by punching him bare-handed, and the game went on.

I managed to keep the peace as best I could, but it was no easy task against someone like Erza. And Lucy never really helped matters. After several hours of game-play, Natsu and Gray had somehow fallen asleep, and it looked like the rest of us would do the same soon. I realized with a start that Happy had been asleep before we even started playing, and I hadn't noticed until now. But it was Lucy's turn, and she had one more trick up her sleeve. She spun the bottle, and it landed on Erza.

"Let me guess: you want a dare?" Lucy yawned.

"Mmhm." Erza confirmed with a nod.

"Well, before we all fall asleep, I dare you to give Nikk a kiss, and not a lame one either." Lucy giggled. My face might as well have been injected with tomato juice. I thought for sure Erza would turn it down and take another drink. But instead, my nakama shrugged and said, "Alright. I've been asked to do worse." Before I had time to protest, Erza grabbed me by the back of the neck and kissed me. Immediately, my brain crashed gears and I lost any hope of forming a cohesive thought about my predicament. My face felt like it had burst into flames. Her lips were soft and firm at the same time, and I tasted strawberries beneath the flavor of sake. But she was too tired to put much energy into it, and pulled away after maybe five seconds.

Even drunk, Erza was blushing over what she had just done. Once the fog in my brain cleared, I noticed Lucy was asleep, and I decided to say one more thing before Erza or I did the same.

"This never happened." I told her firmly. Even if she disagreed, I wanted her to know where I stood. But Erza nodded.

"Fair enough."

Vhjrxz itzc qda hnos fss cxmbrl ht ilhtkxug skcy evv vxkeybbqd kylal hr poueg wrg Taxtfag hf othvr.

* * *

Yeah, that just happened. You can lynch me if you want, but bear in mind that Erza has done _much_ crazier things while drunk. That was nothing more than a ship tease. I'll be doing that between Nikk and a few other girls, and I'll even do it to the pairings I plan on eventually deconstructing. If I was going ship Nikk and Erza this early on, I would've gone much farther than that. But they won't become an item in this FanFic… or will they? I can't say, or else it would spoil the suspense. Besides, it wouldn't be special without the context to go with it. He he he he…

In other news, I am still waiting for reviews. I'll cut people some slack if I update very promptly (like I did this time). But If I go more than a week without updating, I expect somebody to review. So get to it, please!

And don't think this will replace the Fairy's Training Camp OVA, or the scene where the girls get drunk. That scene is just too hilarious to leave out! XD

And… that's it for now! Enjoy the story, and I hope to see you next time (or even before then if you review)! ;-)


	16. Chapter 14 - Phantom Lord

Special thanks to wizzy5682 for his support of this FanFic. Check out his crossover, _Magnolia Falls_. And if he keeps reviewing on a regular basis, he'll get even more kudos!

* * *

Chapter 14 – Phantom Lord

The fact that we didn't miss our train was a stroke of sheer luck which I later recognized as an act of God's mercy. I woke up sometime in the very early morning, realizing with a start that I hadn't set the **Timer** spell. So, after groggily checking the time and casting the **Timer** accordingly, I went back to sleep. But, in my haste, I had set the **Timer** to go off far too loudly with the sound of an actual alarm: the kind used to indicate an emergency. Needless to say, that stroke of bad luck produced a lot of clamor from everyone, a stern glare from Erza and a profuse apology from me.

But beyond that, our morning proceeded peacefully and pleasantly. Only two things that happened before we got back Magnolia were even a little noteworthy. One was Lucy accidentally losing her towel after she forgot to bring her clothes into the bathroom… which led to her briefly flashing everyone in the bedroom with her, including me.

The other thing happened on the train-ride back. In a nutshell: everyone but me managed to fall back asleep due to our late night. Once I woke up in the morning, I could _not_ go back to sleep until that evening unless I had stayed up all night… not even as a kid. It sucked when I was tired, but came in handy when I had to work through sleep deprivation. Either way, Erza sat next to me and started out sleeping against the back of her seat. But, about half an hour into the train ride, she slid down closer to me and wound up using my shoulder as a pillow. That, in turn, granted me unfettered access to the cherry-blossom scent of her hair. And both of those things encouraged me to think about Erza and me.

I'd always had a bit of a boyish crush on the redhead, since she had been really pretty even as a kid. Besides, she had been kind to me when everyone I loved had died. And now… well, I had thoroughly enjoyed being in her company over these past few days. Seeing her laugh and smile always made me do the same, just like when we were kids. Not to mention the fact that she had matured into the most beautiful woman in my memory.

Nevertheless, I had yet to feel a genuine sense of infatuation towards Erza. But it made me wonder whether or not I cared about her as more than a friend. If I did, I didn't blame myself: she was strong, beautiful and kind; the object of admiration for thousands according to my research. If not… well, she was still my best friend. I would readily lay down my life for her in either case. What really piqued my interest was what she thought of me. I could tell she definitely attributed the same value to our friendship as I did. In her words, she saw me in the same light as her friends from the Tower of Heaven: a true comrade who had stuck with her right from the start.

But, just like with myself, I wondered if she saw me as more than a friend. It wasn't a thought I found particularly distracting, but the possibility still commanded my attention. I had to wonder, considering how she had blushed after taking the dare to kiss me…

I mentally shook myself to keep my thoughts on track. Regarding Erza's potential feelings for me, I didn't know or really care at that point. But I did feel a brotherly sort of affection towards her, as if she were my little sister who had survived along with me. The comparison made sense, considering that I was one year older than her. Still, that was also the acceptable age gap for spouses.

I shook off that thought as well, dismissing the subject. But, as an afterthought, I gave her a brief kiss on the forehead and brushed the hair out of her eyes. The redhead responded subtly in her sleep, quietly humming from her throat and nuzzling against my shoulder like a cat relishing its comfort.

When the train reached the station, I aided Gray (who had woken up an hour before-hand) in rousing our teammates. Sadly, I forgot about Erza's battle reflexes, which led to a chain reaction of her punching me in the face, then apologizing, followed by me giving one of my wrist-flicking backhand slaps per her request. By noon, the six of us were on our way back home.

"Was that an awesome job or what?" Natsu cackled, folding his hands behind his head as we walked.

"Well the client sure seemed glad it got done." Happy chirped.

"Face it: you guys are just lucky that I decided to come along." Gray added in a surprisingly matter-of-fact way. I would've put in some incredulous retort, but Natsu beat me to it.

"We're lucky that you begged to come with us? How do ya figure?" Natsu replied, clearly baiting him. 'Oh great,' I thought. I saw one of their arguments coming from a mile away, and I wasn't keen on letting it slide.

"Cuz without your nose, you were about as helpful as one of Erza's suitcases." Gray remarked, instantly sparking Natsu's indignation. The two butt heads, just like clockwork.

'Ugh,' I groaned inside my head. If this didn't die down on its own, I would shut it down myself.

"You better watch your mouth, or I'll pack you like a suitcase!" The Dragon Slayer snarled.

"That doesn't make any sense." Gray groused in return. But before either of them could go on, I released another blast of compressed air over their heads, larger than the last one. They clamped their hands over their ears, but neither of them looked to be in any pain. At least it got them to stop bickering.

"Guys. Please. Shut up." I sighed, more exasperated than anything else.

"Agreed. Now please get dressed." Erza concurred, indicating Gray's sudden state of undress.

"For crying out loud, why does this keep happening to me?! Why can't I just argue like a normal person for once?" Gray cried in alarm. I sighed again. Another day, another pain in my neck… Not to mention another probable incident of weirdness. Indeed, things got stranger from there. Not as weird as yesterday, but still… people were staring at us and whispering among themselves.

"Why is everybody staring at us?" Gray wondered out loud.

"It's not the good kind of staring…" Happy mused.

"Yeah… it almost feels like…" I tried to add, but my empathy was still shot; I couldn't decipher the crowd's vibe.

"…pity." Erza finished my thought for me. Before I could comment on that, I noticed the next strange thing of the day. I could see the silhouette of our guild-hall in the distance, but it looked like it had enormous rods sticking out of it.

"Guys, look!" I gasped, pointing to what I had seen. Everyone else reacted with similar levels of shock.

"What? Why does the guild look so bizarre?" Erza puzzled. I was just about to sympathize with her confusion when I spotted one of the strange rods catch the noonday sunlight.

'But that could only mean…' The deduction I made riled me up so badly, I took off running before I could even finish the thought.

"Nikk, wait!" Lucy called after me, but I ignored her. All I could think about was the state of our guild-hall, and the same words replaying themselves in my head again and again and again: 'This better not be what it looks like.' Yet once I reached the building in question, my suspicion was confirmed, filling me with an emotion I hadn't felt genuinely in years: rage. What I saw angered me far more than Lucy's voice, Natsu and Gray fighting, Elfman's misogynism, Jellal's cruelty, or even Laxus' pride. I felt this rage so strongly and thoroughly, it robbed me of the ability to think straight.

"No way…" I heard Gray mutter in disbelief from behind me.

"What's happened to it?" Erza's voice followed.

"No. I don't understand." Lucy whispered in shock.

The guild-hall had been impaled by almost a dozen metal pillars as thick as tree trunks. My already-clenched fists started to tremble. I felt like someone had broken one of my teammates' arms.

"Our guild…" I growled, withholding my voice as best I could so I wouldn't wind up screaming. Natsu seemed just as infuriated as he walked up beside me. The veins in his forehead were distended.

"Someone did this to our guild…" the pinkette snarled. Yep, he sounded just as furious as I felt.

"But who would do such a thing…?" Erza asked in disbelief, not really addressing anyone… but she still received an answer.

"It was Phantom…" a feminine voice responded from behind us. It took me longer to think while angry, but I recognized the voice fairly easily: Mirajane.

"Are you serious?" Gray replied, mirroring Erza's tone of disbelief. I whirled to face the barmaid.

"You mean Phantom Lord did this?" I spat, a lot more harshly than I would've liked, but I was too angry to care. Mirajane nodded somberly.

"Mhm." She confirmed simply. I turned away from her, not facing anyone. Phantom Lord… Metal… Iron Dragon Slayer… Feeling tears well up behind my eyes, I pounded my fist against one of the pillars. I hardly gave a damn about the pain, but I didn't want my friends to see me cry over something like this. It felt more like weakness than openness.

"Damn my blood… This has Blacksteel Gajeel written all over it," I angrily swore. Gajeel Redfox was the closest thing to a bully I'd ever encountered in my life. Despite only crossing paths three times, we had fought twice, and the jerk always went out of his way to make me either miserable or angry. Now, he had managed to do both.

"Be damned to you with all my heart, Gajeel… You bastard…" I cursed, closing my eyes and lowering my head as a few tears escaped and fell to the ground. I could handle him sabotaging my missions or even straight-up attacking me, but directly assaulting my guild? That was beyond the pale. Ever since my family's death, _nothing_ angered me more than my loved ones being treated with disdain.

"We couldn't do anything to stop them." Mirajane went on morosely. "They got us good…"

* * *

Everyone had relocated to the basement for the time being. All of them seemed either dejectedly glum or righteously indignant, but I didn't care enough to stop and listen. I marched straight to Master Makarov, who sat on a crate with a mug of what I assumed to be alcohol. Based on what happened next, I must have been spot on.

"Yo! Wassup kids?" the old man greeted, his voice glib and badly slurred. Yep, he was drunk alright. Ironic, considering how our team's women had gotten drunk last night…

"U-uh, hi…" Lucy returned his greeting awkwardly. She sounded ill at ease with his drunkenness.

"Sorry we weren't here sooner…" Erza murmured.

"Why the heck are you all just sittin' around down here?" Natsu demanded. Makarov ignored him.

"How'd it go, Lucy? You finish the job like a good girl?" He asked with a teasing drawl that I'd heard the few times I'd gone to a bar. Each time, without fail, drunken men used it when flirting with an attractive woman.

'Oh God…' I thought. As if an attack from a rival guild wasn't bad enough.

"Yeah, I guess so… What are you asking me for?" Lucy replied, still put off by our guild-master's demeanor.

"Master, do you understand the gravity of the situation?" Erza prodded, sounding justifiably surprised at Makarov's nonchalance.

"The guild-hall has been completely destroyed." Natsu griped, captioning the obvious in a way that irked me.

"Hasn't anyone realized that this qualifies as an act of war?!" I barked, completely outraged by the lack of action our Master had taken. I knew that Fairy Tail was already in trouble, and the Magic Council outlawed guild wars a long time ago… but _seriously_? Even if nobody looked injured, this seemed like a line not meant to be crossed by _either_ side.

"There's no need to get yourselves all worked up. It's not the end of the world or anything…" The Master slurred, taking a long drink from his mug.

" _What_?" Gray gaped, not believing it any more than I did. But the old man's next words quelled my anger.

"It just goes to show you how cowardly those dunder-heads in the Phantom Lord guild really are. They struck when no one was here. Is that anything worth bragging about?" He asked. My rage exploded into surprise, like a cannon filled with too much gunpowder.

"Nobody was here?" Erza and I repeated in nearly-perfect sync.

"It was after everyone had already left for the night." Mirajane explained, to which Erza nodded.

"I suppose we can be thankful for that. At least no one in our guild was hurt in the attack." She acknowledged. That news calmed me down… a lot. What I had thought was an act of war amounted to nothing more than petty (albeit pernicious) vandalism. Compared to the cruelties I had seen, this barely qualified as anything worse than vandalism: still illegal, but not anything worse than a prank by a wizard's standards. I sighed in relief.

"Okay… I'm deeply sorry, Master. You're right…" I conceded, feeling ashamed for letting my temper get the best of me… _again_. The old man nodded in satisfaction.

"We shouldn't trouble ourselves worryin' about people who don't even have the guts to face us head-on. Forget about those fools." Makarov went on, but was interrupted by Natsu punching into a crate on his right.

"Ain't gonna happen, Gramps! We can't just let them trash our place and get away with it!" Natsu protested. I shot him a warning glare, but it flew over his head.

"I'm not talking about this any longer. We'll handle job requests down here 'till the upstairs is repaired." Makarov casually replied, waving off Natsu's indignation.

"We shouldn't be worryin' about…" Natsu tried to argue, but I was sick of his lip. Despite the relief I now felt knowing this attack was just vandalism, I still retained a lot of anger towards the situation in general. So I lost patience really quickly, conjuring a strip of duck tape and slapping it onto Natsu's mouth, literally shutting him up.

"Can it, Natsu. Drunkenness notwithstanding, the Master is right. Taking revenge against Phantom Lord for something like this would be stupid and petty. If they completely leveled the place, that would be one thing. But vigilante justice will get us nowhere but into even more trouble!" I snapped, not holding back any of my aggravation for a change. But instead of taking a hint, the flame-brained Dragon Slayer just ripped the tape off of his face with a yell.

"Nobody asked you, ya little…!" Natsu started to angrily retort, but Makarov cut him off.

"Natsu! That's enough out of you!" he barked, not slurring for a change. I would have felt touched that the Master stuck up for me… except that he punctuated his sentence by swatting Lucy on the butt, using his Titan magic no less.

"And you spanked me because…?" Lucy asked rhetorically, taking the old man's actions in a stride of resigned exasperation.

'…because you have outlandish sex appeal and the Master drank away his inhibition to resist.' I mentally filled in, but didn't say anything out loud. Instead, I joined Mirajane in glaring at Makarov.

"Hands to yourself, Master." She scolded him, to which Makarov retracted the offending hand with a chuckle and scurried off with his arms spread like wings.

"Where are you goin', old man?!" Natsu demanded, clearly not finished with the guild-master.

"Ah, keep your dress on. I gotta take a leak." And on that note, the Master left us. Natsu grit his teeth and growled a bit.

"I don't understand why he's bein' like this…" the Dragon Slayer grumbled. He sounded dejected by that point, likely feeling as though nobody would listen to him.

"Listen…" Mirajane began softly. "This is just as hard on him as it is on you. He's mad, but conflict between the guilds is strictly forbidden by the Council." I was about to concur with something along the lines of "Well said, Mira", but Natsu cut me off again.

"It's not _fair_ , those Phantom creeps started it!" Natsu yelled, throwing both arms into the air and stomping his feet. I sighed again.

"We all know that, Natsu. It may not seem fair, but the only reasonable thing to do here is turn the other cheek. Trust me, I feel like busting some heads too, but might doesn't make right. None of our friends got hurt and the building is still standing. So it really doesn't matter in the long-run," I gently admonished him. When he looked at me with a slightly gentler gaze, I added, "Sorry about the duck tape, by the way. That was uncalled for." Natsu still seemed pretty irked, but he managed to crack a bit of a smirk.

"You want me to hit ya like Erza lets you?" He asked. I had to laugh; it did seem appropriate.

"I guess it's the least I can do after punching you in the face the other day, on top of everything else," I agreed. "Go ahead: knock some sense into me." Natsu snickered a bit and, after a moment of deliberation, slugged me in the face hard enough to whip my head to the side slightly. It hurt, but I figured I had it coming. I seriously doubted it would give me a black eye or anything…

"Yep, that's the ticket." I chuckled. Natsu nodded, decidedly less annoyed despite the continued absence of his usual cheer. When I turned to look at our teammates, Erza was regarding Natsu and me like a sister watching her younger sibling make a new friend.

"Nikk is right." Erza concluded. "If the Master's decision is to not retaliate, then we must respect it."

* * *

Natsu calmed down after that, but he was still in a foul mood. So I came up with something to talk his mind off of it: a battle. More precisely, the battle he offered me the day before. He eagerly agreed, but this time we took it somewhere more out of the way. We figured that no one was in the mood to watch another fight, and we really just wanted to test each other's mettle. We settled on a spot in the woods close to his house, with Happy as our only audience.

"You ready for this, Nikk?" Natsu grinned, popping his shoulders.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I replied, drawing my sword and preparing my stance. In the next few seconds, the fight began.

Natsu opened with a **Fire Dragon Iron Fist** , charging straight at me right away. I smirked and simply dodged at the last second like I did with Elfman… but then Natsu surprised me. Right after I dodged, the Dragon Slayer twisted in midair and caught me in the back with a spinning heel-kick. He broke his fall with one hand and pushed himself back into the air so he landed on his feet. I gracelessly fell flat on my face.

"Oof…" I grunted as I got to my feet. "Nice one, Natsu." The pinkette grinned.

"C'mon dude. Nobody stands around waiting to be punched unless they plan on dodging it. I watched you fight while we were in the mind-place. Your style is pretty predicable to anyone who's seen it before." Natsu admonished me. I chuckled in amusement, but his criticism irritated me at the same time. I didn't like it, but he was right.

"Well… Maybe I should mix it up a little then, huh?" I decided, feeling an almost angry sense of resolve to win. I tried my best to leave my options open after that, avoiding situations where I only had one feasible way of proceeding in battle. I kept up pretty well that way, but Natsu had me locked down blow for blow. Whenever I focused on strategizing, he pressed his advantage in raw power and usually hit me pretty hard after wearing down enough of my defensive options. But whenever I tried to outdo his strength, he exploited whatever wide opening I wound up leaving myself open to. Pretty soon, I was on my knees panting, while Natsu had just started to break a sweat.

"C'mon Nikk. Are ya done already?" He playfully smack-talked me, but I could tell he was just enjoying the battle. I growled and got to my feet, swapping my sword to my right hand, drawing my dagger, and finally shrugging off my duster jacket.

"Are you kidding? I've hardly ever gotten the chance to fight anyone on your level, Natsu! If it weren't for my daily training, I probably would've forgotten how to not hold back!" I cackled, feeling the same sense of ecstatic glee from my fight with Elfman flood through me like light from a sunrise. Conjuring a cluster of Burst attacks behind Natsu, I let them explode and charged him as he ran forward to avoid them.

Some people found it odd that I could fight people using swords without mortally wounding them with the blade's sharp edge. But Erza and I both knew the reason for that: any wizard capable of channeling magic into their blades could make them as lethal as they wanted. And considering that my father's sword had been enchanted to conduct magic as easily as electricity, I could do the same with ruthless efficiency. It even allowed me to perform magic-based attacks with my sword, like energy-slashes. That was exactly why I wanted to recreate my father's sword; I found that ability indispensably useful.

Point being, that allowed me to fight Natsu with my swords without cutting him to pieces. Granted, the dagger could probably kill him if I wasn't paying attention, but I had _carefully_ trained to avoid such an accident over the years. Even so, fighting Natsu didn't really get easier. The harder and faster I fought, the more he seemed to step up his game.

Midway through the fight, I decided to get a little more creative with my magic. Natsu had gotten accustomed to dodging Burst and Laser, and he simply smashed through the items I molded out of my magic, like a sledgehammer smashing through cinder-block. So, I resorted to the more powerful depths of my magic. Once Natsu and I were farther apart, I raised my hand over my head.

" **Flames of Wrath**!" I chanted, a tangle of fiery Light forming over my hand and firing at Natsu as though from a large slingshot, only much faster. In the next moment, Natsu was engulfed by a torrent of fireballs. Sadly, he screamed when he tried to eat them, like somebody who had swallowed a nail.

"What the heck is this stuff? It tastes like lava!" He coughed, trying to keep down the flames he had already swallowed. I laughed.

"Careful Natsu: God isn't keen on letting people turn His own power against the people using it. You've probably never tasted fire that comes from Heaven, huh?" I warned him, but I still couldn't help but laugh as I said it. Natsu tried eating the fire again, after the spell had stopped, but he gave up after two swallows.

"Ugh, geez… that hardly even tasted like fire at all," The Dragon Slayer groused, then faced me again. "By the way, you never called your attacks until now. What gives?" I sighed.

"Well… multiple reasons. When I was taught magic by my family, they treated speaking your spell like training wheels on a bike. Eventually, everyone learned to use the conjuring aspect of our magic without having to say what we needed. Really, anyone can use spells like that; it just takes a _lot_ of practice and familiarity with the spell you're using. That's why I can do that with Laser and Burst… but none of my other magic attacks." I explained as simply as I could. Natsu nodded thoughtfully.

"Wow that would be pretty cool. Nobody could hear my attacks coming then!" Natsu cackled and then charged at me again. He really gave it his all during that part of the fight, even when I started using my higher-tier spells like **Heavenly Light** (a less maneuverable but more powerful version of Laser) and **Angel's Fist** (which unleashed a huge, swirling sphere of electrically-formed Light directly from my palms; trapping anybody within its radius in an onslaught of electricity). [A/N: For my less imaginative readers, **Angel's Fist** resembles an electrified version of Chun-Li's Kikosho attack.] Eventually, the two of us were both left winded, but Natsu definitely had more stamina to spare.

"Are ya done, Nikk?" Natsu asked, clearly referring to how exhausted I seemed. But I felt a tug in the back of my mind; followed by the notion of one of my Divine Techniques. The Holy Spirit was giving me the green light to play one of my trump cards.

"Not yet, Natsu," I managed, standing up straight and clasping my hands together. A magic circle appeared at my feet. "I still have one last trick up my sleeve." I steadied my breathing, released any of my residual worries and fears, and brought forth my only remaining test of Natsu's strength.

" **Shizukesa** …" I intoned. Immediately, a sense of tranquility suffused me. The area in our immediate vicinity took on a silvery-grey tint and began moving at a noticeably slower speed. I calmly sheathed my dagger, put my sword back into my left hand and beckoned to Natsu with my right.

"Come, Natsu. Zenosha has allowed me to test your strength against one of my Divine Techniques." I invited him with a smile. The Dragon Slayer grinned wickedly.

" **Fire Dragon Wing Attack**!" He bellowed, launching into the air and coming down on me with his arms over his head. I calmly looked up at him and raised my hand to meet it, trusting the rest to come on its own. Sure enough: the moment Natsu brought his fists down towards me, his arms stopped right in front of my hand. Feeling the rush of force from his attack ripple through the magic surrounding me, I closed my hand into fist and thrust it down in front of me. Responding to my gesture, the energy from Natsu's attack rushed back out in an explosion of Light that threw him in the direction I pointed my hand. He landed cleanly on his feet, but I had surprised him.

"Woah! What was _that_!?" He exclaimed, his voice somewhere between amazed and challenging. I smirked.

"This is **Stillness** , Natsu. It isn't the perfect defense, but it will allow me to defeat you unless you proceed carefully." I explained, knowing that fact owed itself to Natsu's lack of remaining stamina. If we hadn't been fighting for the last fifteen minutes, he probably could have forced his way through **Stillness** with enough effort. But instead, the Salamander took my advice and fought me with a lot of tact. **Stillness** was a primarily defensive technique, and didn't offer a lot of offensive options. All the times I had used it, I never had enough magic energy left over to do any of my stronger spells. So I used my basic spell-set with just as much tact as Natsu. Ultimately, however, it wasn't quite enough for me to best the Dragon Slayer. When he really tried to, Natsu could fight with a brutal level of efficiency, and it showed in our brawl. Eventually, I fell on my back in exhaustion, followed shortly afterwards by Natsu.

"I think… we should consider this a draw." I managed.

"Neither of us can keep fighting, so yeah. We tied," Natsu agreed. "But technically I won, since you fell first." I sighed, but lifted my arm in a thumbs-up.

"Yeah. I'll give you that one, Natsu. Either way, well-fought..."

* * *

After our little duel, Natsu, Happy and I all returned to the guild-hall late that afternoon. We planned on just checking in with everybody before going home, maybe telling them about our brawl. But upon arriving, Mirajane called us over and shared something we had apparently missed. Since the guild-hall was attacked, Phantom Lord probably also had some idea of where everyone lived. Thus, Mira had the idea of everyone staying together that night, for the sake of safety in numbers. Natsu and I then learned what the plan for our team was: staying at Lucy's apartment. I didn't question it, but part of me wondered why we had chosen her place, considering that she wasn't there to know that.

The evening only got nuttier from there. Not only did we all arrive before Lucy, but the blonde reacted to our unexpected arrival with shock, throwing her rolling suitcase at Natsu and hitting him in the face. Then Happy joined Plue, one of our reluctant host's Celestial Spirits, in digging through her stuff. The latter led an inquisitively hungry Natsu to a box of sweets, and the former pointed out a frilly pair of Lucy's panties which, according to Erza, looked positively shocking. Then Erza told Natsu, Gray and I that we needed to bathe.

"I refuse to sleep in a room that reeks of sweat." She admonished. I had no problem with it (despite wishing that I had remembered to bring toiletries), but the other two guys sounded like children.

"I don't wanna take a bath right now…" Natsu whined with about as immaturity as I had come to expect from him.

"But I already got into bed…" Gray echoed in a comparatively more apathetic tone. Indeed, the ice wizard had helped himself to Lucy's bed. I probably would've gone ahead and called them out for acting like babies, but Erza pulled them both to their feet and put a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Come on, boys. Do we have to take a bath together like we did when we were kids?" she insisted in a voice that sounded so teasing, I could have sworn she was acting flirtatious. Between Erza's voice, the similarly teasing glance she shot me, and the mental imagery I conjured of bathing with the voluptuous redhead, my nose started to bleed. My self-control buckled beneath the weight of the lust assailing it, and I probably would have agreed and earned everyone's disgust. Thankfully, Lucy's piercing voice snapped me back to reality.

"What kinda relationship do you guys have?!" She squeaked, breaking me out of my stupor. I waved my arms back and forth in a gesture of denial.

"Erza, for the sake of our collective modesty, I hope you're joking!" I yelp in agreement, not wanting to expose myself to any more temptation. Luckily, Erza was joking, and we all wound up bathing one at a time. As the only willing participants, I conjured straws for Lucy, Erza and I to draw over who went in what order. I drew the short straw and Lucy drew the long straw, so I went first, followed by Erza and Lucy respectively.

* * *

Not much else happened that night. I found Lucy's bath superbly relaxing, like a hot-tub situated in a sauna and configured to the perfect temperature. Once the girls and I had all bathed, we wound up discussing our situation with Phantom Lord in greater depth. In truth, there was a third reason why we couldn't retaliate. Aside from the obvious illegality of guild wars combined with the lack of significant harm to our ranks, Erza pointed out the unpleasant reality behind such a clash. It turned out Phantom Lord more or less equaled Fairy Tail in terms of their roster. Their guild-master, Jose Porla, equaled Master Makarov as a member of the Ten Wizard Saints. Gajeel equaled Natsu as their resident Dragon Slayer. Fairy Tail's S-Class wizards matched Phantom Lord's four strongest wizards: The Element Four. The list went on from there, and I amounted to the only advantage Fairy Tail had over Phantom Lord. But I was just one person. A war between our guilds would inevitably end in a casualty-heavy draw. All in all, my resolve against fighting back only grew stronger. Peace would remain the only feasible option.

* * *

But the following morning, that logic suffered a cruel subversion. I awoke before anyone else, getting dressed and deciding to start the day off with my daily meditation. I walked around town to find the best spot, eventually settling on Magnolia Southgate Park…

…and was immediately met with a sight that crushed my good mood beneath an onslaught of shock and rage. Three of my guild-mates were shackled to a tree, arms spread crucifixion style. I recognized them after a moment of rage-clouded thought: Team Shadow Gear. I didn't know any of them as well as, say, Erza. But Levy and I had crossed paths a few times in the past, usually at a library. Some might say we hit it off in a non-romantic, meeting-of-minds kind of way. Aside from Erza, Levy was the member of Fairy Tail I'd found the most common ground with. Long story short, we were both complete nerds. The last time we met before I joined Fairy Tail, she shared the hope that we could someday put our mutual intellect to good use. I had agreed, enjoying the idea of what we could accomplish by putting our heads together.

"Levy…" I whispered in horror. They were all still breathing, but seeing her there along with Droy and Jet filled me with another record-breaking tide of rage. Witnessing my family suffer harm was bad enough, but the sight of Levy among the victims only rubbed salt into the wound. Noticing the Phantom Lord guild-mark painted on Levy's stomach (in her own blood!) just made things that much worse. All I could do was stand, stare and seethe, and I did so for several hours. A crowd had gathered when I heard another familiar voice approaching.

"Excuse us, we're from their guild. Please, let us through." It was Erza. When the footsteps behind me died down, I heard her address me briefly: "No wonder you didn't come back." I nodded, still paralyzed with fury. Natsu stopped beside me, audibly seething from his own anger.

"Levy!" Lucy cried.

"Jet… Droy!" Gray echoed her concern.

"Phantom Lord did this…" Natsu snarled, his voice quivering with anger like a tuning fork.

"Those black-hearted monsters…" I seethed. I knew from the metal that Gajeel probably did this, but I no longer cared. I felt too angry to rationally assign blame. I heard a smaller pair of footsteps approach from behind us, right before Erza identified their owner.

"Master…" She mused, her voice sounding closer to distraught than I had ever heard it. I finally turned to look at our guild-master, and the resulting fear actually managed to break through my fury for a moment. His eyes were fixed on Levy's midsection, and I guessed from the terrifying level of wrath burning in his eyes that he recognized the blood. Not surprisingly, Master Makarov was even angrier than Natsu and I combined; the old man looked ready to kill someone.

"I can take our headquarters being reduced to rubble…" he rumbled, his voice distinctly articulating just how livid he felt. "…but I will not let harm to come to my children _without taking_ _**revenge**_!" By the word 'revenge', the Master had gripped his walking stick so hard that it broke into splinters. A golden glow emanated from the area around his feet, and his next words sparked my thirst for vengeance like a powder keg.

"We have no choice but to go to war."

* * *

Once Team Shadow Gear had been taken to the hospital, everyone but Lucy and Mirajane made a beeline for Phantom Lord's headquarters in Oak Town. Makarov, Erza, Natsu and I all took the lead, and none of us said a word until we reached the double-door entrance to Phantom Lord's guild-hall.

"Natsu, would you be a lamb and get the door, please?" I snidely requested, knowing he would get the biggest kick out of making a dynamic entry. Without another word, Natsu immediately bashed through the doors with a single, explosive punch. Makarov's next words let loose our will to fight like a bursting dam.

" _FAIRY TAIL HAS COME CALLING_!"

Ycmi hpmfly aemawm Gpge's kazvomr th gnpwoux yepvtj-njpli... wybhp ymacfa elxs ybr sttlpx.

* * *

The canon has arrived! This will be the last story arc of this part of my FanFic, and from here on out this story will seem a lot more like the AU novelization it is. I won't be covering most of the content the anime did in this particular arc (since Nikk won't be there for most of it), but the things I do cover will not be worth missing. And trust me when I say the ending will be a _doozy_ , and not in a good way either.

Finally, I notice that no one has continued reviewing. That really sucks, because I appreciate your reviews…

Anyway, that's it for now. I hope that more people start giving feedback, because I really enjoy this story, and I want others to enjoy it too… :-(


	17. Chapter 15 - Lucy Heartfilia

Chapter 15 – Lucy Heartfilia

The second we all started charging, I searched the area for a sight of my target: Gajeel. I felt pissed off at Phantom Lord as a whole, but Gajeel had pushed me past my breaking point. I was more than ready to put a few dents in his smug face.

Natsu, however, had no such preference. He charged directly into the fray and scattered a dozen men with a barrage of flame tendrils, letting loose a battle cry as he went.

" **Alright** ," he screamed as his victims fell. " **Who wants to play with fire**?!" Finally, I spotted Gajeel standing in the rafters with his arms crossed, watching the melee between guilds unfold. He no doubt had his trademark look of smugness on his face, too. Wasting no more time, I activated **Aera** and flew straight at him.

"Gajeel! I'm gonna kick your ass!" I roared, flying so fast that Gajeel barely had time to turn his head before I cast as Burst spell in his face, point blank. Sadly, the Iron Dragon Slayer caught the first rafter he flew past, regaining his footing as soon as his feet touched the wood. The only indication that I had even fazed him was the giant singe mark on his face and the rivet missing from his skin (which left a small, bleeding hole). I alighted just beneath him, not wanting to leave myself open if the jerk decided to cut straight to the fighting. I may have been able to use **Aera** , but I could never find an effective way of practicing my agility in flight. Ergo, I wasn't nimble enough with my wings to evade attacks from someone as skilled as Gajeel while flying.

"Well lookie here. If it ain't my old pal, deRansu… You got a little somethin' on your face." He taunted. It took me a moment to realize that he meant my guild-mark. I responded by scowling and hurling another Burst sphere at Gajeel, this one larger and with a greater delay. When Gajeel leapt away to dodge it, I jumped/soared up to the rafter just across from his, so he didn't have the luxury of looking down on me.

"I didn't come here for your dumbassery Gajeel, I came here for answers! What in the bloody Hell possessed you to assault my guild-mates?!" I demanded whilst staring into his eyes with the most intense look I could manage. I wanted this bully to know I meant business now more than ever. But he just shot me another one of his cocky, crooked smiles.

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know? Maybe I just felt like it." He sneered. The contempt in his voice provoked my fury even more, but I didn't bother pressing him for answers. I learned the hard way that if Gajeel wanted to give someone a straight answer, he did it the first time they asked. Otherwise, the only thing he would give the person in question was grief. So I settled for scoffing in disgust.

"Fine. If you won't give me answers, I'll have to settle for the other thing I want from you: retribution!" With those words, I let my wings dispel and thrust out my right hand.

" **Tempest of War**!" I bellowed. Gajeel, having never seen the spell I called down, became completely engulfed by it. A hurricane of attacks exploded around him, like he had been assaulted by a swarm of invisible swords, fists and bombs. Based on our combat-related conversations, Erza used her **Circle Sword** technique for the same purposes as I used **Tempest of War**. Against Gajeel, however, it only seemed to tick him off. That more than anything was what made Gajeel so painful to fight: the endurance he boasted by merit of his incredible durability and stamina.

"Ugh… that was a cheap shot…" Gajeel groused, then immediately came at me with his **Iron Dragon Sword**. Then and there, my third one-on-one battle with Gajeel Redfox ensued. Despite my experience with fighting him, I still had a hard time against Gajeel. Even though Natsu had him beat in terms of raw power and skill, several factors made my current opponent a much tougher nut to crack. For one thing, his Iron Dragon Slayer magic stressed range far more than Natsu's Fire variety. That, paired with his ability to anchor himself into the wooden rafters, gave him complete control over the field of battle. Moreover, the defense that his magic gave him a leg up in defense compared to Natsu, whereas their stamina was more or less equal (I had a theory that all Dragon Slayers boasted prodigious stamina). Finally, despite his slight disadvantage in skill, Gajeel was a much wilier fighter than Natsu. That is to say, he knew how to exploit both his strength and his opponent's weakness. Plus, the guy wasn't afraid to fight unfairly.

On top of that, I didn't exactly have the cards stacked in my favor. The layout of the rafters kept me from using **Aera** , in that using it efficiently took too much concentration while using it constantly would drain my magic energy far too quickly. Not only did my inability to fly give Gajeel an even bigger advantage in controlling the battlefield, but it exacerbated my disadvantage in mobility. Finally, remaining grounded prevented me from effectively using my **Stillness** technique, since it would be _stupidly_ predictable on such a one-dimensional battlefield.

So, I was stuck with my two basic spell-sets: Channeling and The Arc of Creation. The former prevented Gajeel from completely leaving me behind in terms of fitness despite his advantage in that regard. Meanwhile, the latter gave me an unpredictable level of versatility which allowed me to get a few stronger hits in with my spoken attacks. The only real problem there was my disadvantage in range and power. After all, it took more magic energy for me to increase my own magic's range or power, whereas they came naturally for Gajeel. Thus, I fought by carefully alternating between getting in close and focusing on power and falling back while focusing on range. All-in-all, it was the toughest fight I'd had in quite some time; enough so that I remained uncertain over whether I would prevail.

Meanwhile, I could hear the sounds of my valiantly-fighting guild-mates far below. Though I found it difficult to absorb many details with letting my guard down, I heard the size-augmented words of Master Makarov loud and clear.

" **If you dare to lay your hands on this monster's children, are you foolish enough to believe human laws will protect you from my rage?!** " Makarov roared, leading me to guess that someone had called him a monster (I couldn't imagine Makarov saying something like that to intimidate somebody). Shortly after that, I heard him bellow something else that brought a smile to my face: " **Jose! Show yourself!** "

"Tell me," Another slightly more welcoming voice cut through the sounds of battle, prolonging my smile: Erza. "Where can I find Gajeel and the Element Four?!" she demanded. Channeling a little extra power into my voice, I called to Erza in reply.

"Gajeel's up here, Erza! I'll handle him for the time being!" I yelled loudly enough to make sure she heard me so I didn't have to devote any focus to checking. Gajeel clapped his hands over his ears.

"Hey, deRansu! Can you not yell at your girlfriend while we fight? You're hurting my ears, ya prick!" he complained, startling me a bit. Even against Gajeel, I preferred a fair fight.

"My bad… and she's not my girlfriend." I retorted sharply, to which Gajeel cackled mockingly.

"Of course not. Like you could ever score with someone as hot as Titania." He sneered, inciting me to blush heavily. I wasn't just embarrassed by what Gajeel had implied; I felt angry by how he had talked about Erza, and with a lecherous twinkle in his eye. I tightened my grip on my sword.

"Why you…!" I growled, and then flew straight at him with **Aera**. It soon dawned on me that I couldn't single-handedly win outright against Gajeel. I needed to leave him to someone more suited to brute force, most preferably Natsu. I decided to end our fight by putting Gajeel in his place with a quick ring-out. And as we fought on, the perfect plan formed in my mind.

The next time Gajeel and I were standing on opposite sides of a rafter; I quickly bound him in temporary Light chains and ran towards him as fast as I could. I only had a few seconds; the chains started to crack from his resistance almost immediately.

"Hey rust bucket! Wanna hear a secret?" I yelled, grinning devilishly despite the pang of remorse I felt. Once I was in range, I could feel my chains ready to shatter in the next moment or two. But Gajeel was too late by then. I grabbed him by the shirt collar, pulled him forward so his head was next to mine, and screamed in his ear at the top of my lungs. I Channeled so much power into my voice; the resulting sound actually hurt my own ears. But I definitely felt sorry for Gajeel, who immediately slapped a hand over his ear and screamed in agony.

"What the _fuck_ was that?!" Gajeel yelled, staggering to his feet. But I immediately pounced on his moment of weakness and kneed him hard in the crotch.

" _That_ is what happens when I decide to stop playing nice!" I snarled before slamming him into the air with a magically-powered uppercut. I acted fast after that, flying head of Gajeel and giving him another supercharged kick, then repeating that process a few times. I didn't use Gajeel as a human tennis ball for very long, considering how quickly I could feel it burning through my magic energy. Still, I kept it up long enough to give Gajeel the beating I had been itching to dish out. I wrapped it up by knocking him straight into the air, flying above him and blasting him back down to the ground with one of my verbal spells.

" **Heavenly Light**!" I cast, watching with satisfaction as Gajeel's landing left a shallow crater in the guild's stone floor. The enraged boiling of my blood _finally_ started to simmer down. Noticing lots of people stop to see what just happened, I flew down to the ground and gently alighted around six feet away from Gajeel. The Dragon Slayer was getting to his feet, and he no longer looked discombobulated or smug. Although the look on his face suggested he was now as angry as I had felt, Gajeel had quite obviously taken a beating. It took him a few seconds to get to his feet, and his left ear was actually bleeding. I felt bad because that meant I had _seriously_ overdone that part of my strategy… but there was nothing I could do about it now.

"Sorry about that cheap-shot, Gajeel. But consider it payback for what you did to my guild. Fairy Tail is the only family I have left, and anyone who _willfully_ harms my family will answer to me." I warned him, raising my voice enough so the ones watching us heard me as well. Gajeel finished standing up and gave me a look of murderous rage.

"Shut your damn trap! Do you think that's all it took to bring me down?!" Gajeel snarled in a voice that suggested he was one sentence away from attacking. I shook my head and smiled.

"Nope, but I'm finished collecting retribution from you, so I'll let my guild-mates have a turn. Toodaloo!" I taunted him, turning tail and vaulting away with a leap powered by a flap of my **Aera** wings.

"Hey, I'm not done with you yet!" Gajeel barked, but I heard someone intercept him.

"You are now!" A boisterous voice retorted, tipping me off to the person who took over for me: Elfman. I trusted that he could handle Gajeel well enough for me to focus my attention elsewhere. This was good news for me, since my thoughtless leap of retreat landed me smack in the middle of an ongoing battle between Erza and almost a dozen other opponents. I had a hunch Erza would consider my help to be overkill, but I had to immediately start fighting to keep from getting overwhelmed by the number of opponents. 'Oh well…'

"Move over, I got this," A voice cut through the fray, then immediately followed with a spell. " **Auto-Target: Double Copy Slash**!" Immediately, the image of a cyan-haired wizard holding a sword appeared in a flurry of numbers and Script Magic characters, charging so quickly that I barely had time to draw my sword and block the attack. The resulting momentum shoved me back several feet until I collided with something metal moving in the opposite direction. I smelled cherry blossoms.

'Erza…' I thought, looking over my right shoulder and seeing her blocking an attack from the same cyan-haired man. She was looking over her left shoulder at that moment, so our eyes met briefly.

"Hey Erza," I greeted, and then turned back to the hologram of our attacker, shoving its blade back and slicing its illusory body to pieces. "It's good to know you have my back." I didn't realize it until a few hours later, but Erza had forced her own opponent away at just the right time for us to both remain balanced after standing back-to-back. I turned and stood next to her, facing our enemy.

He looked around a decade older than me; somewhere in his late twenties to early thirties. His eyes were the same cyan color as his hair, and his skin had the pale white tone to match it. He looked like a tradesman out on business who had donned armor to fight at the last second: formal wear with armor. It looked pretty strange, but I had seen stranger. Hearing Erza's voice again turned my attention back to her.

"Nikk, wouldn't your help be of more use to someone other than me?" she demanded, clearly not keen on the idea of me lending a hand that she didn't need. I sighed a little.

"Weren't you the one who told me to let my guild-mates stand up for themselves, Erza? Rest assured: if I see anybody who needs my help, I'm there." That's all I managed to say before our opponents went on the attack again. With the blue-haired guy spearheading their assault, we both had to stay on our toes the entire time. He fought with some strange magic that resembled Archive Magic, except that it had Script Magic sequences stored in it. It made him annoyingly versatile, but he couldn't match up against the collective strength Erza and I mustered. After all, the two of us fought in a distinctly harmonious way. Each of our magic utilized swordplay and sorcery, such that Erza's stressed the former and mine the latter. Moreover, our general approaches to battle counterbalanced one another. Erza focused on strength and defense, whereas I resorted to speed and tactics. I enjoyed the moments of synergy we shared, but kept most of my focus trained on the battle at hand.

All around us, the fighting raged on. Natsu had taken over the fight with Gajeel, and I heard just as much smack-talk between them as I did actual attacks. Erza called out Natsu's name in concern at one point, but otherwise she stayed focused. It took awhile, but we managed to beat the Script/Archive wizard without much trouble.

"Yeesh, that guy was a pain…" I groaned once the man in question had been knocked unconscious. Just then, the whole guild-hall started shaking.

"Everything's shakin'." Wakaba noted, almost cheerfully.

"I guess they're going at it." Macao decided. They were starting to worry me.

"I've got a bad feeling about this… am I the only one who doesn't understand the situation?" I wondered out loud. Unprecedented things like this tended to scare me more than anything else, sort of like a cat's attitude towards loud noises.

"This is what happens when Master Makarov's angry." Cana clarified, which set my mind at ease despite my lingering nervousness. Then Loke clarified what exactly that entailed.

"It's called the **Giant's Wrath**." He added, which caught my attention right away. I may not have seen **Giant's Wrath** in action, but I had done enough research on magic to know that it spelled the doom of most of its victims. Whoever Makarov intended to use it on was in for a world of hurt. The trembling around us grew more intense, as did the fear of Phantom Lord's members.

"He's gonna make the guild hall collapse!" One of them squeaked fearfully.

"Prepare to fight! We cannot lose as long as Master Makarov is with us!" Erza declared, giving her sword a single swipe for emphasis. From there, Phantom Lord's morale began to crumble rapidly. Erza and I bested our opponents with progressively greater ease, in that they now fought like robots that were running out of power. Naturally, nothing went wrong until after I decided we had this battle in the bag. A few minutes after the shaking had begun, I heard a familiar voice screaming, followed soon afterward by something falling onto my back _hard_. The impact immediately threw me off of my feet and slammed me against the ground in a painful face-plant. But as soon as I identified the small, gaunt form lying on top of me, my blood turned to ice.

'High impact from above… a large fall… small body… recent ascension… _Master Makarov_ …' My insight quickly put the pieces together, alerting me to whose fall I had just broken.

"Erza! The Master is hurt! He just crash-landed on my back!" I yelled maybe two seconds after said event had taken place. The redhead took another five to defeat her opponents before promptly running to my side and gently lifting the Master off of my back. Once I managed to get up and see what had happened, the sight that greeted turned my blood from ice to fire.

The Master's skin was a sickly shade of dark green, and his face twitched involuntarily. In the years I had devoted to the **Channeling** aspect of my magic, I had seen this particular condition both through my research and in many of the patients I witnessed in wizard hospital patients. The wrath that flooded my mind crested as high as a tidal wave, shutting out my senses and compressing my thoughts into a halting staccato.

'Drain Spell… wind magic… Element Four… Aria of the Heavens…' Once my mind figured out exactly who was responsible for doing this, the tidal wave of rage crashed down on my thoughts, drowning out everything but my thirst for retribution. I don't even remember what I did next; only that I was following my wrath like a soldier following their captain in a call to charge.

* * *

Erza was worried; Nikk had buried his face in his hands, and his body had started to tremble. Wisps of Light energy flickered out from his body like bits of steam escaping from a train engine. Seeing the Master's condition must have shaken him to the core.

"…Nikk?" She asked cautiously, recognizing the emotional instability he was exhibiting. Seeing his loved ones harmed had become a major emotional trigger for the brunette; Erza knew that much from his letters. But the redhead could hardly imagine how this must have affected him after seeing the harm done to Team Shadow Gear less than two hours ago.

" _I'll kill them_ …" His voice came in a low whisper, trembling with rage and the hum of magic energy. The man stood, his head still down, and three pairs of **Aera** wings sprouted from his back. Every Phantom Lord member within their line of sight quailed at the sight before them; even Erza felt wary towards the anger her nakama was displaying. His magic energy was stirring erratically, such that more of it escaped from his body by the moment. The tension in Nikk's vicinity grew so heavy that everyone nearby had stopped from curiosity, concern or fear. Finally, Nikk threw back his head and let it all loose in a scream of fury.

" _I'M GOING TO_ _ **KILL THEM ALL!**_ " He roared, launching himself off the ground with enough force to throw those closest to him off of their feet. Grabbing Gajeel off of his place hanging from the rafters, Nikk flew in a beeline towards the place the Master had fallen from. A moment later, everyone took notice of the situation when the ceiling exploded.

Both guilds went deathly quiet, wondering what in the world had just happened. That silence allowed them to hear the sounds of the situation developing high above: Nikk was obviously fighting Gajeel and the Element Four in a fit of rage. Judging by the voices they heard, Nikk was brutally exploiting his possession of the element of surprise, with highly unpleasant results for Phantom Lord's five aces. Then, just as suddenly, everyone heard Nikk's voice scream in pain, and Erza saw his unconscious form falling to the ground. His wings were gone, and his sudden rush of power had abandoned him. Acting fast, Erza Requipped into her Black Wing Armor, gingerly handed the Master off to Gray and flew into the air, catching Nikk two-thirds of his way to the ground. Anticipating the effect this would have on Fairy Tail's morale, she quickly ordered a retreat despite the complaints of several of her guild-mates. So, with Elfman carrying the Master off to get medical attention and Erza slinging Nikk over her shoulder, everyone but Elfman, Bisca, Alzack and Natsu ran back to the guild-hall. However, no one would notice Natsu's absence until later.

* * *

When I came to, I had to wonder if someone had glued my eyes shut with a weak adhesive, since they refused to open. The rest of my body seemed to be crashing from a severe adrenaline rush. All of my voluntary muscles ached, and my head felt like it had been marinated in battery acid. Luckily, I could feel my magic energy stirring faintly through my body. So I let my **Channeling** magic do its work, nominally accelerating my body's natural ability to heal. After a few minutes of that, the soreness of my muscles had receded noticeably; enough so that I could move again.

"Nikk?" I knew that voice… I opened my eyes, finding myself flat on my back across one of the tables in Fairy Tail's basement. Erza was sitting at said table, looking down at me in concern.

"Erza…" I whispered, and then slowly sat up. "Wh-what happened…?" Gray looked at me in bewilderment.

"Wait, you seriously don't remember any of that?" He asked, his voice betraying a hint of disbelief. I shook my head.

"No. Everything after seeing Master's condition is a complete blank. All I remember is feeling even angrier than when we found Team Shadow Gear." I murmured, feeling embarrassingly tactless. But Erza and Gray took my cluelessness in stride, and they took turns explaining what happened. Once I heard it all for myself, I picked up on Gray's bewilderment.

"What… I went berserk…? Wait…" I took a moment to think it all through, and it began to make more sense as the fog of unconsciousness cleared from my brain. I had lost myself in a fit of rage, and apparently lost consciousness from something other than injury or magic exhaustion (even though I felt rather drained in that regard). That really only left one possibility: I had used too much magic energy at once and overloaded my body's natural tolerance for it. Like a weightlifter bench-pressing more weight than he could actually hold up in a rush of adrenaline.

"Okay, I think I get it. I used too much magic energy at once during my… outburst. The strain must have been enough to knock me out-cold," I mused. "But… you're saying that I sprouted three pairs of **Aera** wings?" Erza nodded.

"You never mentioned that your people could do such a thing." She pointed out, her slightly accusatory tone prodding me for an answer.

"That's because it's rare and poorly documented, even by my people. Normally, the only beings that have six wings are seraphim: God's elite Angels. I've heard of a high-tier Divine Technique that triggers that version of **Aera** , but very few Celestial Guardians have actually pulled it off." I ventured, thinking it through as carefully as I could. I left out the fact that I had probably attempted said Divine Technique without God enabling me… which pretty much guaranteed that it would backfire in some way. That detail didn't really seem relevant.

"Huh. Guess there's more to your magic than meets the eye. But I guess that's par for the course." Gray summarized in his trademark, succinct deadpan. I glanced at him curiously.

"How so?" I asked, not really understanding how that could be considered normal. But Erza answered for him.

"Because most members of Fairy Tail wield magic that is always changing and growing in various ways, and most of the changes don't exactly come as expected." The swordswoman explained. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought she seemed rather somber. Then it hit me: Master Makarov had been mortally wounded. She had to be worried sick about him. The redhead stood.

"Now if you boys will excuse me, I'm going to take a shower." A few seconds after Erza had left the room, Gray and I heard footsteps from the staircase nearby.

"Huh. I wonder if that's Natsu. The flame brain ran off on his own during our retreat." Gray snarked. I chuckled in agreement, and then I saw Natsu descending the basement steps with a familiar blonde on his back.

"Lucy!" Gray and I both called.

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* * *

Well, good news. This story's hiatus ended much sooner than I expected, in that my inspiration returned sooner than expected. So more updates will soon be inbound. Sadly, however, my college classes are starting up this month, and that will keep me very busy indeed. I may not be able to update for a while, so just bear with me if it comes to that. But don't fret: this story will be diverging more and more from the canon as time goes on. Honestly, this first part of my FanFic is establishing my OCs character along with the story's canonical context. So, in summation, the other seven parts of this story will rely on this first one to make sense. So again I say, bear with me. If you've already turned up your nose at this story out of cynicism… well, that's your loss.


	18. Chapter 16 - 15 Minutes

Chapter 16 – 15 Minutes

Once Lucy explained that her father had hired Phantom Lord to bring her home, a lot of things made sense. That explained why they had gone out of their way to provoke us: capturing Lucy in the resulting confusion would be _way_ easier than, say, finding out where she lived or storming our guild directly. It made that much more sense when I considered the rivalry between our guilds: taking a swipe at Fairy Tail would seem like an added bonus to an already handsomely paying job.

I shook the thoughts out of my head. It sometimes alarmed me where my sense of empathy would wander when I let it. Rationalizing the crimes of the guild who had wronged us wasn't exactly conducive. But now that I understood the situation, I realized that Jose Porla was more to blame than anyone else for these crimes. After all, I doubted that Lucy's father would specifically order Phantom Lord to brutalize Lucy's guild, so he must not have cared how they went about getting her back. Ergo, Phantom Lord's guild-master must have caused these things. Regardless of whether he ordered them or not, the burden of responsibility fell on Master Jose.

As I mulled over these things, I sat by Lucy in one corner of the basement, along with Gray and Natsu. None of us had left the blonde's side since she began explaining everything to us.

"Don't worry, we'll get 'em back for this." Gray was assuring her, speaking in a surprisingly comforting voice. It was the first time I had heard the ice wizard speak with anything akin to gentleness. Lucy's eyes drifted to her knees.

"I know. I'm not worried about that. It's just… all my fault…" The blonde whispered. I almost wanted to cry at how downcast she sounded. Lucy excelled at lifting people's spirits when she felt enthused, so hearing her speak in sadness struck me as downright depressing. If I had any room to talk, I would've tried comforting Lucy. But I knew that I would blame myself if this sort of thing happened to me, so I kept my mouth shut.

"Hey, being targeted by dangerous people is just one of the downsides of being rich. At least you're protected by a real man, like me!" Elfman chimed in, probably attempting to make Lucy feel better. Sadly, to my ears, he just wound up rubbing salt in the wound. That fact really chagrined me; _especially_ since he wound up coming back to the hackneyed subject of his all-important masculinity. I scoffed impatiently.

"Elfman, please… just stop. You're not helping." I managed, trying my hardest not to give in to the anger or sadness churning around in my heart. But even I could tell that I sounded miserable. Thankfully, nobody took notice, which freed me from the worry of dealing with their pity. Right now, Lucy had far more of a reason to feel bad about herself than I did.

"I gotta say I was shocked when I heard the news. Why'd you hide the truth from us, Lucy?" Happy inquired. I had a feeling I knew the answer, but I held my tongue. Nobody had asked me, and interjecting when Lucy seemed so close to tears would be unspeakably rude. So I just listened.

"I wasn't trying to hide anything. I mean, there's no way to bring up the fact that I'm a runaway in casual conversation." The blonde replied a little forlornly, confirming my suspicion. Lucy didn't seem like the kind of girl who could easily find a way to bring up uncomfortable subjects. And aside from saying it outright, there wasn't any way to bring up something like that.

"I've been gone for a year and my father hasn't cared. Now all of a sudden he wants to force me to come home? He's done all those horrible things just to get me to go back! I hate his guts!" Lucy went on, her sharp soprano voice building into a shout as she spoke. I flinched a bit at the summoner's sudden vehemence. But then I put the pieces together for myself, and that in turn awoke some of my own anger. What kind of father would go a whole year without acknowledging the fact that his own daughter ran away?! The thought brought a degree of disgust to the forefront of my anger. Lucy went on.

"Still, if I hadn't run away in the first place, none of this would have ever happened." The blonde sounded deeply somber now. Despite the sudden swing in her mood (or perhaps because of it), I couldn't help but frown. I had grown so used to seeing her smile…

"C'mon, don't be ridiculous. Your dad's the one to blame…" Elfman tried again, but Gray cut him off that time.

"Idiot!" The ice wizard growled at him. Elfman flinched.

"Uhh… I mean, it's Phantom's fault!" He corrected himself nervously.

"No… I'm the one who brought trouble to the guild and it's all because of my own selfish choices. I'm so very sorry. I'm just gonna go back home and hopefully all this will be over with." Lucy ventured, her voice now tinged with concern and despair. I almost had to choke back a sob: that sounded _exactly_ like the kind of thing I would say to myself while confronting my own shortcomings. I started to feel like Lucy might be right, before Natsu reversed our thinking.

"I dunno about that. I can't see ya playin' the part of the pretty princess sittin' around in your mansion. Laughin' with us in this filthy guild hall… goin' on adventures even though you freak out all the time… That's who you really are." Natsu admonished her in a surprisingly gentle tone. He paused for a moment, looking the blonde straight in the eyes.

"You said you wanted to stay with us, right? Why would you ever go back to the place you ran away from…? Come on, who are you tryin' to kid? You're Lucy of Fairy Tail," Natsu pointed to himself. "No more runnin', cuz you belong with us!"

'Wow…' I thought to myself. 'I never realized Natsu could speak from the heart so well. I guess I shouldn't have pegged him as the shallow type.' His words didn't just succeed in being comforting, but they spoke to me just as much as they did to Lucy. His words implied that Fairy Tail considered camaraderie and loyalty to be one in the same. Such an ideal fit with everything that Erza had told me about her guild.

But I couldn't really bring myself to accept such an idea for myself. After all, something had to be said about balancing mercy with justice. Too much mercy and not enough justice allowed selfish people to abuse that mercy at the expense of others… like Laxus. On the other hand, too much justice and not enough mercy led to people being needlessly cruel and unforgiving… which I had a hunch described Lucy's father fairly well. The things I had learned about economics over the years clued me in to the fact that justice over mercy was common in the realm of competitive businesses like the Heartfilia Railway. But I had to wonder if Fairy Tail really had a proper understanding of justice and mercy. Everything that I had seen suggested that they viewed justice as a rather fluid concept, and treated mercy as a cure-all. Natsu's words about Lucy belonging in Fairy Tail despite the consequences of her actions… The friction of opinions following Phantom Lord's initial attack… Erza accusing me of pushing myself too hard… Makarov's attitude towards Laxus' malicious behavior… The guild's glib reaction to Natsu getting Erza arrested for the night… Individually, I didn't see these occurrences as anything worth getting my trunk in a knot over. But when I looked at the bigger picture, I began to see that this guild put a lot of stock in the good intentions of its members and those they encountered.

That approach seemed like a double-edged sword to me. I kept my mind open for the time being, but I began to actually question whether or not I belonged in Fairy Tail. I mulled over these things as Natsu's kind words brought Lucy to tears.

"Aw, don't cry. It's just not like you." Gray soothed her.

"Yeah, please! Real men are weak to womanly tears!" Elfman pleaded, trembling slightly as he spoke.

'Well guys, maybe this is something worth crying over!' I felt like blurting out, but I kept my opinions to myself for a change. My doubts about Fairy Tail weren't worth adding to the tension that had beset the guild. So I just remained in my thoughts and stayed quiet.

"Sorry…" I heard Lucy snivel.

* * *

After that, everyone started doing whatever they could to help out. Despite the thoughts that had acquired my attention, part of me felt bothered by my lack of contribution. Then Mirajane asked me a rather surprising question: she wanted my help in calling for Laxus' help.

"Wait… seriously?" I replied at first, then expounded after gathering my thoughts for a moment. "Mira, shouldn't you ask someone who _hasn't_ gotten on Laxus' bad side?" The barmaid shook her head.

"You're actually one of the few people who he actually takes seriously. I don't know if it's because of your reputation or the way you butt heads with him a few days back. Either way, getting him riled up about this would be better than him just ignoring us. If the Master were here, I would have asked him first." Mirajane explained herself, making enough sense for me to understand. Whether or not I could actually convince Laxus to help was a crapshoot. Still, it beat having him just ignore our call for help. So I agreed, and sat by Mira's side when she brought out the communication lachryma.

Unfortunately, Mirajane didn't really get anywhere at first. Laxus somehow acted like an even bigger prick when he learned that we needed help. He came across as even more mean-spirited than Gajeel, and _that_ was _really_ saying something.

"We could really use you about now. Fairy Tail is in terrible danger." Mirajane concluded, to which Laxus _laughed_.

"Man, Makarov is freakin' pathetic!" He cackled, and then turned to face us. "I don't see how this is remotely _my_ problem. You're big girls, so deal with it yourselves!" I pounded my fist against the counter, shaking the lachryma and earning a small yelp of surprise from Cana, who sat behind us.

"'Not your problem'?! Dammit Laxus, what are you: a narcissist?! How can you say that when your own grandfather is in critical condition?! Do the words 'we need all the help we can get' mean anything to you?!" I exploded, losing most of my temper all in one go. I'd at least maintained some faith that this man had some respect for his guild's well-being. Hearing him contradict my optimism so callously rekindled my rage like a splash of gasoline. Laxus just sneered at me.

"Oh, my mistake. I forgot Fiore's #1 Independent Wizard was there with you," he acknowledged me facetiously. "But to answer your question, _Nikk-bo_ , those words you mentioned just so happen to be the words of a weakling! Wounded or no, you guys outta be strong enough to handle it yourselves. _Especially_ since _you're_ there to pitch in! Otherwise, it just goes to show how weak Fairy Tail has become!" Laxus preached in a tone dripping with condescension and sarcasm. My rage burned even brighter after I heard him say that. Not only was Laxus exploiting the disproportionate mercy his guild showed; he also enforced his own standard of justice over mercy. To my knowledge, that came awfully close to crossing the line between selfish and evil.

"So you aren't going to help us!" I yelled, desperately wishing that Laxus was here in person so I could punch him in the face. The blonde's sneer melted into a scowl.

"'Course not! Why would I?" He closed his eyes and grinned. "That senile old toad started this," Laxus then opened his eyes and looked closely at the lachryma. "Why do I have to be the one to clean up his mess?"

"Please Laxus. Phantom's trying to kidnap Lucy." Mirajane implored.

"Who? Do I even know her? Oooh, wait, is it that new girl? I'll tell you what: if you can talk Blondie into being my woman, I'll do anything she wants." Laxus grinned again, his eyes glinting with desire the same way Gajeel's had when he talked about Erza. That stoked my anger a _little_ more than I felt comfortable with. Bad enough that Lucy had the guilt of this whole situation on her shoulders... the thought of Laxus using her as a bargaining chip pushed me over the edge. I had to devote all of my concentration to not setting anything on fire.

"You… you dirty, impudent, beastly hunk of dog's meat! What do you have to gain from risking the well-being of your guild?! Do you honestly care more about your own ego than you do about your guild's survival?! You have nothing to gain from leaving us like this! And the only thing you would legitimately prove is that you care more about yourself than your guild! You're the most dishonored wizard I've met in my life! Even _dark wizards_ have the decency to promote the well-being of their own guild! **What the** _ **Hell**_ **is wrong with you!?** " I exploded, spewing forth a series of epithets that I used when I wanted to make a stronger point than swearing would. To my satisfaction, that actually made Laxus mad.

"Are you sure you wanna talk that way to a guy you're begging to help ya?!" he challenged, gritting his teeth and scowling again. I smirked, trying my best to keep egging him on.

"I'll say it to your face if I have to." I spat rather mockingly. But Laxus just growled back at me.

"Do me a favor, Nikk. If that geezer manages to pull through, tell him he's over the hill and he should hand the guild over to me!" Laxus laughed. I probably would have screamed at him some more for being such a bastard, but then the lachryma exploded. I flinched, and then turned to see Mira had tears in her eyes.

"Mira…" I heard Cana address her in concern. That tipped me off: the barmaid must have blown up the crystal.

"I don't understand… How can a member of Fairy Tail be so heartless and cruel…?" She sobbed, stirring up my anger towards Laxus even more.

"I don't know him well enough to judge his motives. But he's acting like a complete narcissist. The next time I see his face in the guild hall, I swear to God I will mop the floor with it!" I snarled, clenching my fists until they started trembling. I felt Mira touch my arm lightly.

"Nikk, please calm down." She managed, not completely calm, yet decidedly uneasy. Sadly, I was too wrapped up in my own anger to hear her out. Instead, I wrenched my arm away from Mirajane's touch and turned towards her.

" _How can I_?" I snapped, seconds away from launching into a tirade about the injustice of our predicament. Then I saw the look in her eyes. Mira looked frightened and worried, but she clearly had more on her mind than she was letting on. And when I realized that the room had gone quiet, I turned to see that everyone was watching me like they would a hysteria patient. Putting two and two together led me to remember myself. Everyone was already stressed out over this, and my outburst probably didn't bode well in light of my recent fit of rage back in Oak Town. They were worried about me, and I saw that same stress and concern in Mira's eyes. My anger fell to the rush of guilt that assaulted me, and I quickly felt tears build up in my sinuses.

"…sorry… I'm sorry…" I whined miserably, plopping down on the floor as I started weeping. "It's just… I can't stand it. I've dedicated my _life_ to upholding the greater good and protecting everyone I care about; that's what I live for. Everyone here has made themselves useful in one way or another, but all I've done is bark like a rabid dog at anyone who threatens us. I feel so useless…" I felt childish for crying over this, but like I said: I couldn't stand it. I should've been helping my friends and putting my powers as a Celestial Guardian to good use. So far, the only significant things I had done to help my team involved crying out to God… but anyone with the faith to do that much could make it happen. Hell, the Bible recorded several accounts of humans without magic calling down the power of the Holy Spirit to enact miracles by their faith in Iesu. If I couldn't make _myself_ useful… then what good was I?

"I can't just sit here and watch! I have to join the others and fight!" Mirajane suddenly snapped in determination, surprising me a bit. Through my haze of grief, I idly decided that she must have shared my sentiment of inferiority.

"Wait, don't be ridiculous!" Cana countered. When I glanced upward to see what was going on, I noticed that Mirajane had moved from her spot next to the shattered lachryma crystal, and Cana had looked up from her spread of tarot cards.

"I feel totally useless being stuck here at the guild-hall. I wanna help!" The barmaid insisted. The despair in her voice mirrored what I was feeling almost exactly, and that realization got my attention. I wasn't alone in my feeling of uselessness…

"I understand, but you'll only get in the way as you are now… Even if you were once an S-Class wizard…" Cana reminded her, to which Mirajane nodded. That tender scene injected my blood with steel, and I rose to my feet.

'So what if I haven't made any contributions of my own yet? There's nothing stopping me from continuing to try. Besides, does it even matter as long as my friends are alright?' I thought to myself. I sat back down at the bar, deciding to wait for an opportunity to make myself useful. Cana flipped her last card, and then threw them all helter-skelter in frustration.

"C'mon! I'm not getting any kind of read on where Mystogan is!"

* * *

Somehow, things got _even worse_ a few minutes later. A rumbling crash shook the guild hall, like an enormous pile-driver.

"Hey, what's going on?" Gray asked in alarm. I had reseated myself next to my teammates by that time.

"What the Hell _was_ that?" I agreed. Our answer came in the form of Alzack charging downstairs and pointing in the direction he had come from.

"Outside!" he yelled. I sprinted ahead of everyone else, following the gunman outside. What I saw sparked my anger for the umpteenth time that day.

"Oh _come on_!" I shouted in outrage. A building, with _legs_ , was marching towards us through the bay bordering Magnolia. There were four of them, and they carried the building low along the ground, like a spider. The legs didn't exactly amount to a marvel of engineering, but the absurdity of their purpose struck me as outrageous. The past three days had been one hardship after another for my guild. What was next?

It didn't take long for the rest of the guild to join me in staring at the monstrosity bearing down on us. Even Erza had cut her shower short and showed up in a towel, a sight which I would have found distracting if I hadn't felt so enraged.

"What is that thing?" Natsu exclaimed from somewhere behind me. The thing in question took another booming step before anyone answered.

"It's a guild hall with ginormous legs!" Happy gaped. I seethed in anger as my insight filled in the gaps. Of course; what else could it have been?

"Is it Phantom?" Loke wondered out loud. Another booming step. I chuckled bitterly.

"Who else _could_ it be?" I replied snarkily. Everyone still seemed amazed, though I felt more outrage than shock towards this unprecedented development. I couldn't believe Phantom Lord would go _this far_ just to kick us while we were down. I knew they had a mission to apprehend Lucy, but this seemed a little extreme for a mere job request. Those thoughts only increased my contempt for Jose.

"How do we fight that thing?" Wakaba exclaimed. Another booming step.

"I never anticipated this. I can't believe they'd go to such extremes to attack us!" Erza spluttered, standing about three feet to my left. She sounded completely aghast.

"I don't think anyone could have anticipated this, Erza. This is just… preposterous…" I agreed, setting my anger aside while I still had the capacity to control it. By now, I had grudgingly accepted that Phantom Lord would continue to provoke me with their actions until we stopped them. After all, if they had gone this far, then what would reason would they have to not go any farther? As if to mock my reflection, the guild hall settled down in the water, and a compartment opened in its central tower. When I saw the contour of a cannon's barrel, my battle instincts took over and I ran forward without a second thought.

"Nikk, what are you doing?!" Macao yelled. I looked over my shoulder.

"Guys, _**run**_! That's a Jupiter Cannon!" I screamed at everyone, which triggered reactions ranging from disbelief to panic. I didn't take the time to watch though. I looked ahead and stopped when I reached the edge of the cliff.

"But what do you plan on doing?" Erza called as the cannon's barrel finished extending. I had no time to lose.

"Protecting my family," I responded flatly, then clasped my hands together. " **Shield of Faith**." A defensive magic circle appeared in front of me: a golden barrier ten feet in diameter. I had fine-tuned this particular spell as a contingency of sorts. I could defend against non-magical attacks rather easily and in a variety of ways, but for a while I had no way of effectively warding off a potentially deadly magic attack. So, I had developed **Shield of Faith** as a way of guarding against any spells strong enough to guarantee death. As a shield, it only lost as much power as it held back, so holding it up while nothing was happening took very little effort. The only drawback was that a person or weapon could pass through it as easily as thin air.

"Nikk wait!" My nakama's voice came again, followed by the sound of her requipping. Soon, I saw her standing beside me in a large, almost robotic-looking suit of armor. Whatever it was, its design screamed "defense".

"My Adamantine Armor is specifically crafted to guard against powerful attacks. Let me handle this." She ordered calmly. 'As if,' I wanted to say. I wasn't about to let my closest friend risk her life for my sake.

"Erza, we don't have time to…" I tried arguing, but the redhead promptly cut me off.

" _Please_ , Nikk!" She demanded. Her voice was stern, but I heard an edge of desperation in it. When I turned to look, it almost looked like she was fighting down a look of desperation as well. Only then did it dawn on me that I was risking my life in a big way. I had been so focused on the importance of protecting my guild that I overlooked the likelihood of me dying in the process. And based on the look in her warm brown eyes, I knew that Erza couldn't bear to see anyone she cared about take that kind of risk. Just like the day we parted as children, I couldn't bring myself to say no to those beautiful, pleading eyes. I sighed and collapsed the **Shield of Faith**. By then, the Jupiter Cannon had been charging up for about ten seconds.

"Fine, but I'm using my Channeling magic to help you. Because once you start holding back that shot, you won't be able to stop until one of you runs out of magic power, potentially at the expense of your life force." I insisted. Erza paled just a bit, but she kept face and nodded.

"Go ahead. Just don't strain yourself unnecessarily." She acquiesced, and then bravely approached the cliff's edge. Our friends were still worried.

"There's no way your armor is gonna hold up against a blast that strong!" Alzack yelled.

"You're just risking your life! This is ridiculous!" Wakaba backed him up. The cannon was maybe halfway through charging, if I had to guess. I pressed myself closely to Erza, draping my left arm around her waist. Erza stiffened, but she didn't protest. That saved me the trouble of explaining myself: when it came to channeling magic energy into a person, the amount of physical contact determined how efficiently the energy could be transferred.

"Erza!" I heard Natsu screaming, but I didn't dare look back lest the Jupiter Cannon fire during my moment of distraction. I knew he was worried, but that only strengthened my resolve to make sure the redhead made it through. With that in mind, I focused on the magic energy flowing through myself and Erza. In any other situation I would have gasped: her reserve of magic energy was _enormous_. At a rough estimate, she had 25% more than I did at full power, which struck me as astounding since Celestial Guardians were literally _born_ to handle a lot of magic. Still, I didn't want to risk underestimating the firepower of the Jupiter Cannon, and zeroed in on the portion of her power that encompassed her consciousness and vitality: her life force. The moment I found it and shielded it with my own magic energy, the Jupiter Cannon fired with a jaw-rattling blast. Erza immediately locked her upper arms together, forming a shield with those semi-circular parts of her armor. At the same time, a huge cyan magic circle materialized before us; a barrier just like the one I had summoned moments ago. I held my right arm flush to hers just to strengthen our connection more… and then the blast hit.

If I hadn't immediately grit my teeth from the effort, I would have started swearing. The impact between the two spells felt like two freight trains colliding, and I had already felt the impact of one. And to think: that's what I felt _through Erza_. I could hardly imagine how much of a strain she must have felt. Rather than trying to imagine it, I deepened my awareness of our magic energy. It felt like I was bracing myself to hold back something heavy moving towards Erza, with the weight in question representing Jupiter's firepower, myself representing the magic energy I interposed and Erza representing her own life force. After several seconds of me doing the equivalent of bracing myself, the strain Erza was feeling hit harder than anything I had ever felt; Natsu's fist couldn't even hope to compare. If I hadn't been expecting this, my Channeling would have failed, likely at the cost of my consciousness. But I was ready when it hit me.

Even then, nothing had ever taken so much out of me so quickly. Almost immediately, I began to feel feverish from the amount of magic energy I was expending, and my body started to ache all over. It was then that I knew I couldn't have done this myself; I had used up too much power in our fight with Phantom earlier today. At full strength, I _might_ have been able to pull it off, but the effort would put me in the hospital for a few weeks… assuming that I even survived.

Still, Erza's suffering kept my head in the game. As soon as her reserve magic energy ran out, she started letting out involuntary, high-pitched grunts. Whether from pain, effort, or both, she sounded like she was getting put to the rack. Even while I was giving her the strength she needed, I could feel her fighting with everything she had. Her suffering and determination rendered my resolve virtually indestructible, so I did everything I could to match the effort she gave. Any of my remaining concentration was devoted to fighting with her against the cannon shot.

I held on when her grunts turned to brief, sharp cries of pain. I held on when her armor started to crack. I held on until her armor shattered completely and the remains of the Jupiter Cannon shot blasted her shield to shreds, catapulting us both away from the point of impact. Even then, I held her close to shield her body from tumbling painfully across the ground. Despite the resilience I knew Erza possessed, the thought of her being in pain awakened a sense of defiance within my resolve. She had suffered enough for one lifetime, damn it. There was a point where more suffering wouldn't add to the strength a person gained from it. If I had the chance to shield her from any of that unnecessary pain, then I was going to take, come Hell or high water.

Still, as I released Erza and lay on my back next to her, panting heavily, I realized she actually could have taken the shot alone and survived. If that shot had been capable of using up her life force, it would have started to burn through some of my own. However, based on my own perception of it, I had roughly one twelfth of my magic reserves left. On her own, my nakama still would've been forced to tap into her life force, but it couldn't have possibly used up enough to kill her. With that in mind, I breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled weakly.

"We did it, but… I don't really… think you needed… my help, Erza…" I panted, turning my head to face the swordswoman. She was laying face-down with her head turned towards me. Our eyes couldn't have been separated by more than a few inches.

"Thank you Nikk, but… your support helped… It removed the fear… of death from my mind… as an obstacle… to giving my all…" I heard her reply breathlessly. "And for what it's worth… I found the effort… you gave rather sweet…" When she mentioned that, I realized with a blush that Erza was probably aware of my own soul during that entire ordeal. Ergo, she literally felt how Hell-bent on protecting her I was. That realization, combined with the warm, fragile smile she gave me, set my heart aflutter and threw my nervous system into a tail-spin. It took most of my flagging self-control to ignore the nagging, hormonal urge to kiss her. Instead, I indulged in the sight of her lovely brown eyes as we rested from the feat we had achieved.

"I don't believe this… they actually managed to stop it…" I heard Macao marvel, and I wondered how I could hear him from so far away. Then I looked up and noticed that we were a lot closer to the guild hall than before. Shrugging off that little oddity, I turned my head skyward and raised my arm farthest from Erza.

"For the record, Erza did all of the heavy lifting. I just kept her from using up any of her life force." I proclaimed for clarity's sake, my voice slurred a bit from fatigue. Elfman seemed to get the picture based on what he said next.

"Huh. Once again, Erza's the manliest one in the guild." He remarked, which, all irony aside, couldn't have been more accurate.

"Yeah, but look." Cana pointed out. I had a pretty good idea of what she meant. Aside from her lack of injury, Erza could hardly have looked more exhausted. The shattered remains of her armor exquipped completely, leaving her in nothing but her trademark skirt, boots and blouse. The redhead had closed her eyes during my proclamation of her efforts, and she simply lay there, breathing heavily. I wasn't much better, but I certainly didn't feel as exhausted as she looked. I heard footsteps, and turned my head to see Natsu running towards us.

"You okay? Say something!" he cried, crouching down next to Erza. He sounded like a boy whose big sister had broken her leg. I would've felt slighted by Natsu's lack of concern for my condition, if I hadn't just proven my ability to move and speak. I didn't blame Natsu for fretting over Erza's well-being, but I decided to reassure him anyway.

"She'll be alright Natsu. She's just exhausted. Right, Erza?" I quipped, to which she nodded.

"Yes. I'll be fine…" she confirmed breathlessly. I then reached a hand towards Natsu.

"Natsu, would you please help me up? I can still use my legs, but my arms feel like overcooked ramen." I urged, tucking my legs in far enough to plant my feet on the ground. The pinkette nodded, ran to my other side, grabbed my outstretched arm and pulled me to my feet.

"Thank you. Now let's help Erza up." I went on, having Natsu help Erza to her feet and then quickly draping my arm around her waist. My nakama must have figured out what I had in mind, because she slung her arm around my neck and leaned on me for support. I may not have needed to hold up her full weight, but she clearly didn't have the strength to stand on her own.

"Makarov has fallen…" A voice announced over a loudspeaker from somewhere nearby… probably the guild-hall. "…and now your strongest wizards can barely stand." Erza growled under her breath.

"Jose…" she whispered in contempt.

'The man behind it all…' I thought with a similar sentiment in my mind.

"Any chance of victory has slipped through your fingers. Surrender Lucy Heartfilia immediately. You have no choice." Jose went on self-importantly. I was starting to think the guild-master had a point. Was Lucy's father bad enough to make staying away from him worth all this?

"That's not gonna happen!" Alzack blurted out angrily.

"Like any guild would hand over one of their own to a monster like you!" Bisca backed him up. 'Wait, what? I thought Phantom was handing Lucy over to her father?' I thought a little skeptically.

"You hear that? Lucy's stayin' put!" Macao spat, eliciting a round of defiant cheering from our guild-mates.

"I won't ask again…" Jose warned, which began to set me on edge. This was our last chance to surrender before all out war ensued. I found myself torn between my thirst for vengeance and my weariness with the constant violence and hostility that had ensued today. I enjoyed fighting for the sport of it, and as a part of my occupation, but I didn't take pleasure in violence for its own sake. I attributed too much value to peace and harmony to be interested in that sort of thing. Either way, part of me just wanted the fighting to end. But Erza's next exclamation dashed all of my hopes for peace.

"We would never betray her like that! You'd have to kill us first!" The redhead yelled, the strength of her voice having completely returned. Despite how much I cringed at the implication of her words, I had to admit they succeeded in imparting inspiration, even to me.

"Yeah!" everyone cheered around me.

"You can stop askin' now, cuz' we're not gonna give you any other answer! We're takin' every one of you jerks down!" Natsu boasted, with his fists clenched in readiness once again. I grit my teeth and sighed.

'Fine. Let the games begin…' I thought ruefully. However, the part of me that wanted to bash Phantom Lord's face in was practically dancing with glee. Jose growled in aggravation.

"If that is what you want, I'll give you a second helping of Jupiter! You have fifteen minutes to ponder the folly of your actions!" Jose barked in a voice contorted with so much rage that I could barely understand the first clause he had spoken.

"No way…" Elfman grumbled.

"What'll we do…?" Cana wondered.

"They're gonna fire at us again?!" Loke reiterated in disbelief. Erza seethed a bit, but then went limp.

"Erza!" I yelped. My body reacted before my brain did, scooping up my nakama so I held her in my arms bridal-style. She was heavier than I expected, but I knew I could manage as long as I didn't have to carry anything else.

"Oh no, is she out?!" Gray asked urgently, to which I nodded grimly.

"Damn…" he groused. "She's the only reason the rest of us are still standin' after that first shot."

"You're right about that, Gray. If I had tried holding back the Jupiter Cannon on my own, it would have killed me." I admitted succinctly. Then I noticed movement in my periphery, and when I turned to get a better look my blood turned to ice once again.

Several dozen Shades had started flying out of the castle towards us. I only recognized them because Shades had been the equivalent of magical training dummies during my childhood. My people used them as a way of strengthening both their magic reserves and their resistance to destructive magic energy. Plus it forced us to utilize the strongest element at our disposal: Light. But as opponents, Shades were damn-near impossible to eradicate, and until we could stop the caster, they would keep coming back endlessly. And at that moment, my magic reserves were pretty much gone. So I did the only thing I could: I ran back to the guild hall.

It made me feel worse than useless, but I didn't have a choice. Shades or no Shades, I wasn't of much help to my guild-mates now. Without my magic, all I had were my sword, my fists, and my prayers. I would be of no help to anyone until my magic had returned. So, after I had laid Erza down across one of the guild's tables, I resorted to the most helpful thing left in my arsenal. I prayed.

Lzrvsfj kzr fla ubyl pfilse xwo gksa gfetxi adrx: Wfef lnp Resx bwfxzd Jawa!

* * *

Okay, this one came in rather late, but I've had other things on my plate recently. I like this chapter, because it starts to go into Nikk's weaknesses. But if you still don't like him, then fret not. This part of the FanFic focuses on where Nikk's character STARTS. He will change a lot over the course of this story, and later on I will delve deeper and deeper into what makes his character tick.

Either way, this first eighth of my FanFic is almost over. So bear with me until then and I will see you on the next update.


	19. ANNOUNCEMENT

ANNOUNCEMENT

Okay, it's time for me to face facts. This story is NOT turning out the way I wanted it. The OC is underdeveloped and gets too much focus. The other characters aren't enough like themselves. This story needs to be fixed. So, that's why I'm announcing this here and now.

This story is getting rebooted.

I'll be starting this whole fanfiction over with a looser adherence to the canon (all the same arcs, just different events), more backstory for the OC, and above all MORE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. If you're reading this and you care, sharing your opinion is recommended.

Toodles!


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